With the news that Brendan Rodgers is considering asking Stewart Downing to be converted into a left-back (left back in the changing room, tsk tsk), OTP looks at five other Premier League players who could do with a positional move.
1. Wayne Rooney – Centre Midfielder
With the arrival of Robin Van Persie at Old Trafford, the club now have an array of options with Hernandez and Welbeck still pushing for starts. With United still needing some steel in the middle of the park, could a midfield of Carrick and Cleverley sat behind Rooney with Kagawa and Young roaming do the job and Van Persie starting work for United?
2. Phil Jagielka – Goalkeeper
Everyone likes an outfield player going in goal, but did you know that whenever Phil Jagielka is at a club and is playing, the team don’t list a substitute goalkeeper because Jags is so proficient. Hit 32 and then convert to prolong your career by five years. Perfect.
3. David Luiz – Centre Midfielder
Luiz is a competent tackler, but sometimes displays a lack of concentration that may make him unable to perform consistently at the highest level in the centre of defence. If he played in the John Obi Mikel role (who, by the way, offers nothing), the Brazilian could use his evident array of passing whilst providing a shield for Terry and Cahill.
4. James Milner – Right Back
England slightly utilised this during the Euros, but Milner is a solid player that always give his all. He is not blessed with lightening pace but his passing is a real asset. Converting him into a full back (particularly against weaker opposition) would allow him to overlap and also play crossfield balls to a left winger. And his defending can’t be worse than Glen Johnson’s.
5. Rob Green – Waterboy
As long as Green can promise to keep the bottles steady and the water in the jug cool, QPR might just let him be the QPR waterboy when Julio Cesar arrives. However, any slip and there is an experienced international waterboy recently released by his club. He’s old and will cost big money but hey, this is QPR.
