Topic summary
Central defender
Extracted from the Wikipedia article Defender (association football).
Full-back
The later 3–2–5 style (also known as the WM formation) involved a third dedicated defender, causing the left and right full-backs to occupy wider positions. Later, the adoption of 4–2–4 with another central defender led the wide defenders to play even further over to counteract the opposing wingers, and also provide support offensively to complement their own wingers on the flanks. Brazil of the 1950s is often regarded as pioneering this style of play, with Djalma Santos and Nílton Santos viewed by many as the first modern wing-backs. Over time, the full-back position became increasingly specialised for dynamic players who could not only defend, but also had pace and crossing ability to fulfil this role, as opposed to the central defenders who remained fairly static and commonly relied on strength, height and positioning.