Sometimes, desperate times call for desperate measures, even in football.
Centre-backs are often played up top when the going gets tough and needs must; the defensive stalwarts of most teams typically have the raw building blocks to play as a classic No.9 for a short while – size, strength, heading ability – but they often lack some of the needed finesse and goalscoring qualities.
Not all of them, though. In fact, a few stick out in the mind as regular goal-getters to the point where they’d often get cameo run-outs near the end of games as their side’s leading marksman.
But who are these mystery centre-backs, and just how successful were they in playing up top?
1. Gary Doherty
Career appearances: 534
Career goals: 44
Looking back over a career spanning 17 years, in a very real sense, Gary Doherty is the archetypal centre-back-cum-striker. He was able to fulfil both positions but not to a particularly satisfactory level, though he became something of a cult hero at Tottenham after his £1m move from Luton in 2000.
The Irishman managed to score a number of crucial goals for Spurs, most notably while inspiring with a man-of-the-match performance up top with Sergei Rebrov as the Lilywhites came back from 2-0 to win 3-2 against Sunderland in 2000/01. He also scored against Arsenal in the FA Cup semi-final that season while in a poacher’s position. In his 34 appearances, Doherty featured mostly as a striker for the Republic of Ireland.
Hit or miss? Hit
2. Paul Warhurst
Career appearances: 464
Career goals: 33
Warhurst was active between the late 80s into the late 00s, playing for as many as 16 clubs. The centre-back was entrusted with a starring role up front at Sheffield Wednesday in the 92-93 season as the Owls faced numerous injuries to forwards David Hirst and Mark Bright. In that season, Warhurst scored 18 goals in all competitions, a startling figure, and 12 in as many games.
The Stockport-born lad even earned a call-up to the England squad, to play as a striker, only to succumb to injury before getting the opportunity to play. However, that was largely it for his goalscoring exploits, and playing as No.9, became a thing of the past.
Hit or miss? Hit
3. Gerard Pique
Career appearances: 616
Career goals: 51
Pique played as a striker very early in his career and even as a centre-back he’s always scored at least two goals per season in all competitions for Barcelona, scoring as many as seven in 2014-15.
His most notable contribution in a stand-in striking role, however, must be when he struck home for La Blaugrana in the 2010 Champions League semi-final against Inter, getting on the end of a through-ball only to Cruyff turn and bamboozle the recovering defender and Julio Cesar before calmly slotting home.
He was only up front, however, as things were desperate and he’s never reprised the role since.
Hit or miss? Hit
4. Chris Smalling
Career appearances: 353
Career Goals: 19
Chris Smalling has been restricted to a few late cameos up top when United have been trailing, and it hasn’t really borne fruit. Like others on this list, Smalling has the size and aerial ability to be a nuisance in the air at the opposite end, but with Fellaini in the team, it’s a rare occurrence.
All that money spent and Chris Smalling up front!!
get in @Kuyt !! Absolute legend! #YNWA
— Allan Hodgson (@alshodge44) September 15, 2016
Unlike Pique, Smalling’s never scored while up top. He was so lambasted by United and non-United fans alike after his dalliance as a spearhead as the Red Devils toiled to a loss against Feyenoord in the Europa League in 2016, it seems safe to say he hasn’t been a hit. He’s scored some alright goals in his career though, the control and volley against Watford this year to name one.
Hit or miss? Miss
5. Virgil van Dijk
Career appearances: 323
Career goals: 33
Van Dijk’s proven himself to be an elite centre-back since his move to the Premier League. More than technically adept enough to function as an imposing forward with good feet, Van Dijk’s most prolific season came in the 2014-15 campaign for Celtic but his most famous last-minute striking moment came in November 2018, when the Netherlands came back to level with Germany 2-2, thanks to a Van Dijk volley in the box, to win Group A1 in the Uefa Nations League, reaching the finals in 2019.
Hit or miss? Hit
6. Christopher Samba
Career appearances: 326
Career goals: 32
Samba is probably the most well-remembered defender/striker of the modern Premier League era. As recently as last season, Aston Villa manager Steve Bruce entrusted the Congolese defender with a striking role in the dying embers against Hull City.
Bruce told the Birmingham Mail: “If I didn’t think he could do it, I wouldn’t have put him on. If you’re pushing for the win then why not?
“I’ve seen him do it for Blackburn before, in fact, he played centre-forward for Blackburn for ten games one season. I watched him play against Arsenal and he was unbelievable. We have got that in our armour now.
“The change certainly brought a lively response! Maybe I should have put him on a bit earlier with those crosses coming in. It’s something for us to consider and work on.”
This is probably overdoing it, but Samba did indeed score one goal up front after coming off the bench in 2017-18 against Sheffield Wednesday.
Hit or miss? Hit
7. Steven Caulker
Career appearances: 254
Career goals: 15
Caulker’s not a total stranger to scoring, he managed five in all competitions in the 2013-14 season for Cardiff, his most prolific to date.
The defender was brought on as a striker on his Liverpool debut vs Arsenal with two minutes to go but didn’t do much of anything. Klopp introduced the centre-back as a forward once again vs Manchester United in the 90th minute in his second appearance, again to little avail.
Hit or miss? Miss
Any more examples you can think of? Let us know on Social Media!
The post Hit or Miss? 7 centre-backs used as emergency strikers appeared first on Squawka News.
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