Merih Demiral

Proper old-school defender Juventus centre-back Merih Demiral is a striker’s nightmare. The Turkish international is smart, doesn’t mind getting dirty and often throws his body on the line. Demiral is starting to prove himself at Juventus following an ACL injury in January which kept him on the sidelines for 5 months. Games are coming thick …

Football is essentially a game won by the team who scores the most number of goals. It is usually the forwards who make the headlines and get all the appreciation in the modern game, but defending is an underrated art: brilliant goal-line clearances and perfectly timed tackles are equally deserving of accolades if not more. …