Attacking midfielder roles

The position itself is straightforward: a midfielder behind the centre forward, in the space between the opposition's defence and midfield. What that player actually does varies hugely. Some are roaming creators, some are fixed players the team uses as a reference point, some push higher to add a runner, and some drop deeper to combine with central midfielders.

Modern football has changed the position more than most. The classic creative number 10 with limited defensive work has become rarer at the top of the game, since pressing systems demand more out-of-possession work from every player. Many players who would once have been pure number 10s now play as attacking number 8s in midfield threes, or as inside forwards drifting from the wing.

The advanced playmaker plays the classic number 10 role. They take a position in the space behind the centre forward, between the opposition's defence and midfield, and create chances with through balls to the forwards and shots from the edge of the area. Where the deep-lying playmaker creates from deep, the advanced playmaker creates closer to goal, with less time on the ball but more dangerous passes when they do get it.

The role is most associated with the 4-2-3-1, where the number 10 sits between a double pivot and the centre forward, but it also fits inside a 4-3-3 with one of the central midfielders biased forward, or a 4-3-1-2 with a number 10 between the centre forwards. The advanced playmaker needs press resistance and quick turning ability, since they receive in tight space against a centre back or holding midfielder. They are usually the team's main creative hub, and often the player around whom the rest of the attack is built.

Trequartista is an Italian term meaning "three-quarter", referring to the part of the pitch — roughly three-quarters of the way up — that the player operates in. The trequartista plays a similar role to an advanced playmaker, but with more freedom to roam and fewer defensive duties. They drift across the front line looking for space, picking up the ball wherever it suits them rather than holding a fixed position behind the centre forward.

The role works best in teams who can carry one player without defensive duties — usually possession-based teams whose midfield three or double pivot can absorb the missing pressing work. The freedom is the trade-off for the creative output: the team accepts that the trequartista will not press or chase back, in return for the chances they create when the team has the ball.

Enganche is an Argentine term — literally "hook" — for a classic number 10 who acts as a stationary creative pivot. The enganche holds position behind the centre forward and the rest of the team plays the ball into them, where they turn and find the next pass. Where a trequartista roams to find space, the enganche stays put, and the team's structure is shaped around getting them the ball.

This is one of the more old-fashioned attacking midfielder roles, most associated with South American football and with eras when teams could afford a player without significant off-the-ball work. Modern football has largely moved away from the role, since teams now expect more from their attacking midfielders out of possession. But the enganche still appears in systems that prioritise creative output above pressing intensity, often paired with a centre forward or second striker who covers the running ahead.

The false ten is less established than the false nine, but it is a useful way to describe a player who starts in the number 10 area and then moves away from it to create problems. Instead of staying between the lines as a passer, they may run beyond the striker, drift wide or pull a marker out of position.

The role is playmaker-adjacent rather than always being a pure playmaker. In some systems the false ten behaves more like a runner than a passer, using the number 10 starting position to attack spaces elsewhere.

The shadow striker is the goalscoring version of the attacking midfielder. They start behind the centre forward in the same starting position as an advanced playmaker, but their main contribution is goals rather than assists. They make late runs into the box, follow up rebounds and cut-backs, and arrive on the edge of the area in time to strike rebounds and second balls. The role is more about timing of runs than range of passing.

The role suits teams whose centre forward draws defenders in and creates space for runners from deep — a target man who occupies the centre backs, or a complete forward who drops into midfield. The shadow striker exploits the gap between the centre backs and the holding midfielder, where late runs from a number 10 are hard to pick up. The role is also a useful way to get goals from a player who is not quite a centre forward — a creative attacker with finishing instincts whose goal threat would be wasted in a pure playmaker role.

The deep-lying second striker plays the second striker role from a deeper starting position. They drop a few yards behind the centre forward to receive in the space between the opposition's defence and midfield, then turn and play forward. Where a traditional second striker plays in a two-striker formation, the deep-lying second striker plays in a one-striker formation but takes on the same connecting job — combining with the centre forward, sliding through balls into runners, and arriving late in the box themselves.

The role is most useful in systems that want second-striker qualities — quick combinations with the centre forward, late runs into the box — without committing to a two-striker formation. A 4-2-3-1 with a deep-lying second striker as the number 10 is the most common modern home for the role, especially when the centre forward ahead is a target man or a complete forward who can hold the ball up. The role overlaps with both the advanced playmaker and the shadow striker but tilts towards the linking job of the second striker rather than the pure creation of the playmaker or the pure goal threat of the shadow striker.

In a 4-2-3-1, the player behind the striker is usually described as an attacking midfielder. In a 4-4-1-1 or a front two, a similar player may be described as a second striker.

The jobs can overlap: both can link midfield to attack, receive between the lines and support the centre forward. The label depends on how high the player starts, how much they defend in midfield and whether the team treats them as part of the front line.

A team built around a single creative star usually wants an advanced playmaker, a trequartista, or an enganche. The choice between them depends on how much defensive work the team can afford to lose. An advanced playmaker carries some pressing duty; a trequartista carries less; an enganche carries almost none. Modern football has pushed most teams towards the advanced playmaker, since the gap between roles with and without pressing duty matters more in a high-pressing era than it used to.

A team whose creative work is done elsewhere usually wants a shadow striker, a false ten, or a deep-lying second striker. The attacking midfielder is then a runner rather than a creator, with the goal threat coming from late runs into the box rather than passes between the lines. The choice between the variants depends on where the team wants the threat to come from — the shadow striker arrives in the box, the false ten pushes higher into the front line, the deep-lying second striker links midfield to attack.

Many modern teams play without a fixed attacking midfielder at all. A team with a deep-lying playmaker, two attacking number 8s and inverted wingers can do all the work a number 10 would do without committing a single player to the role. This is one common approach at the top of the modern game, and the attacking midfielder roles above are mostly used by teams who choose to keep the number 10 zone occupied rather than redistribute the work.