Dirty work is a term used in football and other sports that describes a type of play that is done by a defensive midfielder which does not receive any acclaim or recognition but is necessary for the team to win or be successful. This type of play can be breaking the attacking moves of an opponent, doing short passes and making tackles. Generally, players who do this are those who are not considered the stars of the team, but are the risk takers that make sure their teams will win no matter the consequence.
Top 10 Dirtiest Players
There are several players who would do anything for their team to win or become successful, even if they need to do the dirty work. Most of these players have the outstanding skills especially in tackling but have not been recognized.Michael Brown occupies the tenth spot. The former English professional midfielder is known for his skills in tacking and has also been criticized for it by his opponents.
Ninth and eight places are occupied by Michel Salgado and Marco Materazzi. Michel Salgado is retired right back who had been playing under Real Madrid and England. He is known for his aggressive attacks and tackling. Materazzi on the other hand is also a retired footballer and manager that had been known for his provocative ways on the field, often getting aggressive and physical. In his entire playing career, he had received more than 20 red cards.
The fifth, sixth and seventh places go to Kepler Laveran de Lima Ferreira, Billy Bremner and Claudio Gentile. Kepler Laveran de Lima Ferreira or Pepe is Brazilian-born Portuguese who plays as a center back. He was considered once as the dirtiest footballer of all time, but also had one several team and individual recognitions. Bremner on the other hand has been considered as one of the greatest players of Leeds and an outstanding midfielder who comes with exceptional contact constitution, strength and skills. Gentile was also known for his aggressiveness on the field especially during the 1982 World Cup and his man-marking Diego Maradona of Argentina.
Further, Roy Keane and Vinnie Jones occupy the fourth and third spots respectively. Keane was famous for his dirty plays and bust-ups especially when he tackled Alf-Inge Haaland. Vinnie Jones got famous because of his reckless tackling while playing under Sheffield United and Wimbledon.
Top two on the list are Andoni Goikoetxea and Nigel De Jong. Goikoetxea occupies the second place because of his consistent showcase of rough plays, including tackling Diego Maradona when he was severely injured. Nigel De Jong on the other hand occupies the top spot. Due to his aggressiveness and tough-tackling capabilities, he had injured several players including Hatem Ben Arfa, Stuart Holden and Xabi Alonso. The injuries he had caused had never been forgotten by the football world.