The top 10 ‘pitbull’ midfielders in 21st century football

Defensive midfielder is one of the most interesting positions in 21st century football because there’s so many different ways to play it.

You can be a serene brick wall of a defender – like Claude Makélélé, you can be a serene passing genius – like Sergio Busquets, you can even be a ceaseless bundle of energy and tackles – like N’Golo Kanté. Those categories are about technique and style, the way one plays. Not the attitude with which one plays; but that makes all the difference in the world.

Attitude can turn a lovely tackler like N’Golo Kanté into a fearsome force, a snarling, snapping defender whose energy and aggression make them a danger to opponents. Now, a lot of players have this “pitbull” energy, but some manage to combine it with an incredible technical ability to truly take their game to the next level. These are the 10 finest examples of pitbull midfielders this century.

10. Gabi

Gabi was such an unassuming character, a journeyman really (albeit with only a couple of journeys under his belt). But his snarling commitment to not only relentless pursuit of the opponent but the dark arts as well made him an ideal on-pitch avatar for Diego Simeone. Gabi was fearsome under Simeone and was capable of breaking opponents both with his tackles and even his set-pieces.

9. Daniele de Rossi

What if a pitbull was also incredibly handsome? Daniele De Rossi has oozed machismo as long as he’s been a player (but especially since he grew a viking beard). He’s a phenomenal and fearsome presence in the middle of the park whose willingness to get down and dirty has led to more than his fair share of cards over the years. Still, he’s a natural born leader and the kind of man you’d follow into battle.

8. Egidio Arevalo Rios

Speaking of battle, this diminutive Uruguayan absolutely loves it. Arevalo Rios was a devastating hatchet man whom all feared. He never left the Americas to play his club football, but he shone brightly on the international stage. He was a key presence as Uruguay reached the World Cup semi-finals in 2010 and then won the Copa América in 2011. A gnashing, snarling brute of a man.

7. Nigel de Jong

One of the bad things about these kind of pitbull midfielders is that their violent actions usually get them sent off. However, in the 2010 World Cup final Nigel de Jong flying kicked Xabi Alonso square in the chest and then didn’t get sent off. ‘Nuff said.

6. Gary Medel

Gary Medel is one of two midfielders to be so ferocious that people just literally call him “pitbull.” This Chilean was so often the muscle to his team-mates magic, most notably in Marcelo Bielsa and Jorge Sampaoli’s Chile sides. Once kicked Leo Messi in the chest in a Copa América final and only got a yellow card, which is damn impressive when you think about it.

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5. Mark van Bommel

Mark van Bommel was a career-thug, but in a classy way. The Dutchman married exceptional technical skill with outright brutality. He was often the “hard-man” in the Dutch sides and if it came out that it was him, not Bert Van Marwijk, who convinced the Netherlands to kick the life out of Spain rather than try to play them at football in the 2010 World Cup final, no one would be surprised.

4. Edgar Davids

The original “pitbull” – Edgar Davids was probably the perfect combination of aggression, athleticism, skill, technique and vision. He could literally do everything and what’s more is he looked really damn cool, too. Davids dominated big games and his presence was enough to change the shape and fortunes of a side (he set the stage for Barcelona’s renaissance under Frank Rijkaard). The only reason he’s not higher on the list is that most of his greatest achievements, including that historic Champions League with Ajax, came in the last century.

3. Javier Mascherano

Javier Mascherano is so fierce and committed that he once tore his anus and then carried on playing like nothing had happened. That’s really all that needs to be said, but here’s a couple more things: he loved a tackle, he actually spent 5 years playing centre-back to an absurdly high level at Barcelona, he was the best player at the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

2. Roy Keane

Run for cover, it’s Roy Keane! Like Davids, Keane was a pitbull who could play. Only his demeanour was more akin to a Honey Badger. Keane was a nasty piece of work when he wanted to be, but was also a terrifyingly magnetic presence and the kind of leader you dream of having. Going to war with Patrick Vieira in the Highbury Tunnel just because Vieira was trying to intimidate Gary Neville epitomised Keane’s style. The man was vicious, but loyal. Anyway, also like Davids he is lower than he should be because his best achievements were in the 90’s.

1. Gennaro Gattuso

Gennaro Gattuso once choked an old man on the touchline. He also lived for violence, a walking talking Ultimate Warrior promo. Gattuso’s sole existence in life was the hammer and hurt opponents. He couldn’t play, he could barely pass in a straight-line. No, his job in life was to be Andrea Pirlo’s muscle, his enforcer. And like Nicky in Casino, when he was charged with taking out an opponent he carried things out to a T. A relentless brute who won the Champions League twice and picked up the World Cup as well. A true conqueror.

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