Players being converted from one position to another

Off the back of another thread suggesting that Etete should play in a different role, it got me thinking about how many other players we have ever had over the years who were converted from one position to another. (think Ray Kennedy joining Liverpool as a striker and being converted to a midfield player…)

Famously we played Josh MacGennis in goal when in fact he was an international striker and I think that Leighton Philips may have been a midfielder before becoming an accomplished centre back.

I’m sure that there must be others though…..

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Originally Posted by Bobby Dandruff

Off the back of another thread suggesting that Etete should play in a different role, it got me thinking about how many other players we have ever had over the years who were converted from one position to another. (think Ray Kennedy joining Liverpool as a striker and being converted to a midfield player…)

Famously we played Josh MacGennis in goal when in fact he was an international striker and I think that Leighton Philips may have been a midfielder before becoming an accomplished centre back.

I’m sure that there must be others though…..

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John McClelland was a useless teenage centre forward who played a few games for us in our 74/75 relegation campaign and was released at the end of the season only to re emerge a few years later as a high quality centre back who played for Rangers and Watford and Leeds in the old First Division and was a fixture in the Northern Ireland team in the late 70s and early eighties.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_M...er,_born_1955)

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Originally Posted by Bobby Dandruff

Off the back of another thread suggesting that Etete should play in a different role, it got me thinking about how many other players we have ever had over the years who were converted from one position to another. (think Ray Kennedy joining Liverpool as a striker and being converted to a midfield player…)

Famously we played Josh MacGennis in goal when in fact he was an international striker and I think that Leighton Philips may have been a midfielder before becoming an accomplished centre back.

I’m sure that there must be others though…..

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Every mention of Magennis makes me think of the ‘on the pitch throw in incident’:hehe:

Callum Paterson - full back to midfielder to premier league centre forward.

Gary Bell winger to fullback ?

Mark Kennedy.

Ashurst once played Nathan Blake at centre half and Gary Bennett up front but not for long (and not at the same time).

John Charles again. Centre forward and Centre half.

Phil Dwyer, centre back for the City, centre forward, and scoring against Peter Shilton, for Wales.

Ollie Tanner came on a few times as a sub and had a big impact as a winger before being turned into the pretty ordinary full back he is today.

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Originally Posted by the other bob wilson

John McClelland was a useless teenage centre forward who played a few games for us in our 74/75 relegation campaign and was released at the end of the season only to re emerge a few years later as a high quality centre back who played for Rangers and Watford and Leeds in the old First Division and was a fixture in the Northern Ireland team in the late 70s and early eighties.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_M...er,_born_1955)

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I didn’t know that he played for us!

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Originally Posted by Undercoverinwurzelland

Callum Paterson - full back to midfielder to premier league centre forward.

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Oh yes. Of course.

Ginge was a striker in his youth team days, reserves, i do believe.

James Collins a centre-back-striker extraordinaire

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Originally Posted by the other bob wilson

Ollie Tanner came on a few times as a sub and had a big impact as a winger before being turned into the pretty ordinary full back he is today.

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ollie tanner wishes he was ordinary....:hehe:

Paul Warhurst comes to mind. Played at striker as Wednesday had an injury crisis, banged in something like 10 goals in as many games, even got called up to the England squad. Then the goals dried up and went back to being a center back.

Joelinton a more recent one, was a forward when joining Newcastle, turned into a very good defensive minded central midfielder.

Ruud Gullit was more of a striker in his early career, but as his career moved on he moved further back towards defence and sweeper.

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Originally Posted by LA Bluebird

Paul Warhurst comes to mind. Played at striker as Wednesday had an injury crisis, banged in something like 10 goals in as many games, even got called up to the England squad. Then the goals dried up and went back to being a center back.

Joelinton a more recent one, was a forward when joining Newcastle, turned into a very good defensive minded central midfielder.

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Yes, but crucially, neither of them played for us ;-)

Was it Mark Kennedy to we signed as a winger that turned to a left back, not a huge switch, think Neil Ardley did the same for us.

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Originally Posted by Undercoverinwurzelland

Callum Paterson - full back to midfielder to premier league centre forward.

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he's also filled in as a centre back in a back 3 while at Sheff Weds

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Originally Posted by Undercoverinwurzelland

Callum Paterson - full back to midfielder to premier league centre forward.

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:hehe::hehe: a loose description if I ever saw one

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Originally Posted by xsnaggle

John Charles again. Centre forward and Centre half.

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In the same game. Juventus would play him as Centre forward and once he'd scored they'd move him to Centre half.

Or so the story goes.

Henry played for Monaco and Juventus as a winger, and Wenger switched him back to a Striker.

Michail Antonio from West Ham was a has player right back, right wing and striker.

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Originally Posted by blue matt

:hehe::hehe: a loose description if I ever saw one

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There are a few on here that would love to see us still hoofing the ball up to him.

Peter Whittingham

Glenn Hoddle playing sweeper in his latter days for Swindon like he was playing against an under 10 team. What a player he was.

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Originally Posted by J R Hartley

Glenn Hoddle playing sweeper in his latter days for Swindon like he was playing against an under 10 team. What a player he was.

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Not quite as big a change but it always surprised me when Leggy ended up as a sweeper. Can’t remember what manager that was now, Gould or Corky maybe.

Perry Ng to cb.

Under Mick everyone became a cb.

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Originally Posted by Trigger

Perry Ng to cb.

Under Mick everyone became a cb.

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And the centre backs became wing backs

A true visionary

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Originally Posted by City123

And the centre backs became wing backs

A true visionary

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Yes Ciaran Brown as overlapping wing back had us all pulling out hair out but i've noticed even Guardiola using bigger lumps at full back at times the last season or so.

Kelvin Etuhu as a target man.

Paul Went.Centre half to Centre forward.

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Originally Posted by Eric the Half a Bee

Kelvin Etuhu as a target man.

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:hehe:

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Originally Posted by Trigger

Perry Ng to cb.

Under Mick everyone became a cb.

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lol. So it doesn’t count ;-)

Can remember my dad saying during one of Bales early Wales caps that 'he's got talent but he's no left back'
Speed spent a lot of his later games at Left Back for Wales from memory too.

Leandro bacuna from a right back to a central midfielder to attacking midfielder

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Originally Posted by Rjk

Leandro bacuna from a right back to a central midfielder to attacking midfielder

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Leandro Bacuna converted from a modestly paid player at Reading to a vastly overpaid player at Cardiff ?

I still wake up in a cold sweat thinking about Jason Fowler and Tony Philliskirk playing at sweeper.