Winger (sport)
Categories: Football (soccer) positions
In sports, the term winger is the name of a position, including football, rugby union, rugby league and hockey. It refers to positions on the extreme left and right sides of the pitch (the wings). See winger (hockey).
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Football (soccer)
In football, a winger is an attacking player in a wide position.
Wingers are usually players of great pace or dribbling ability so as to provide cut-backs or crosses from which strikers can score. Their main function is to support attack from the wings. They are a special breed of midfielders who work up and down the flanks, and traditionally, are not expected to track back and defend. However, most modern wingers do defend and track back to repossess the ball, although their primary function lies in attack.
Wingers used to be highly prized in the older times, but their importance has dwindled through the years. In the 1966 World Cup for example, England manager Alf Ramsey played without natural wingers in a team known as the "Wingless Wonders".
In the modern game, some wide midfielders replace the role of wingers, whose contributions include providing defensive cover for fullbacks. One good example is David Beckham, who played in the position of right wing during his days at Manchester United, but is not commonly regarded as a winger since he functions primarily as a right midfielder and does not use either speed or dribbling ability to support play.
Famous Wingers
Current wingers
Rugby union and Rugby league
Wingers or wings play on either the extreme left or the extreme right. They are usually the fastest players on the field and score the most tries.
For more information see Rugby union positions and Rugby League positions.