defensive midfielder

Defensive midfielder is also known as holding midfielders. It is one of the types of midfielders in association football. Defensive midfielder is the one who primary responsibility is to defend the ball from the opponents. Defensive midfielders are assigned to defend zonally remaining in front of their of the team’s defense line. The Defensive midfielders has to be prepared to fulfill their roles as a full-back or centre back according to the situation if the team has moved to up field to join in the attack. For this type of role the team formation must be in 4-2-3-1 or 4-4-2 diamond formation. In such cases, defensive midfielders not just limited to defense but can go forward to make an attack as well. Gennaro Gattuso, Roy Keane and Claude Makelele are taken as the good examples for expressing the defensive midfielder.