As youngsters, we all wanted to score the goals. Mind you, not everyone was cut out to do it, and eventually you'd just be happy to play. But there was always one position that, regardless of your own role, was always one we truly admired: the attacking midfielder. It was them who offered something nobody else in the team could.
Tasked with providing the creativity in the final third, laying on that killer pass and drifting in between the lines, there was always an element on envy at just how unique their skillset was.
Attacking midfielders were once deemed football's luxury men - that player who didn't track back because they were simply too good and would hopefully cause more damage at the other end of the pitch.
Well, times have changed now, and these attacking midfielders are industrious, combative and intense, all while maintaining their creative and technical qualities in the same breath.
Anyway, before we go off on another tangent, below are listed the 5 best attacking midfielders in the world right now.
Abass Samari Salifu (Accra Lions)
Everyone loves a youth prodigy. Whether they've emerged from the lower leagues or battled their way up through a top club's academy, they force everyone to take notice. Abass Samari Salifu caused heads to turn last season, but building on those performances this time around, everyone's necks are now aching.
Combining creative flair with the level of instinctive forward play of a striker, he's able to find space anywhere on the pitch. Dynamism and intelligent movement both on and off the ball make him impossible to read, but his influence in the final third stretches beyond setting up his teammates.
He has scored 9 goals, registered 2 assists in 17 appearances for his club and has been rewarded with a call-up to Ghana’s Olympic team.
Abdul Manaf Umar (RTU)
RTU have suddenly turned into a new animal. Abdul Manaf Umar has come in, and with the confidence, desire and quality he possesses, it's rubbed off like a static shock on the rest of the squad.
Constantly craving possession, technically gifted with both feet and willing to shoot whenever the opportunity arises - he's been a revelation. And he's scored 5 goals, 3 assists in 26 games for the Pride of the North.
Umar doesn't shirk a challenge either, with his stamina allowing him to recover quickly and regain possession for his side.
Inspiring others around him, Umar’s intelligent movement frees up spaces for his RTU teammates, while his ability to control games is often reserved for much more experienced players.
Linda Mtange Don (Hearts of Oak)
We might need to start coining a phrase in the vein of 'the Linda Mtange Don effect'. Reason being, when was the last time we saw a player join a club and make such a remarkable impact, in what felt like mere seconds after taking to the pitch?
The word that springs to mind to describe him is infectious.
An effortless attacking midfielder, the Congolese is always in space, never in a rush and always makes the correct decision. Don’s sublime technique creates attacking opportunities, while his dribbling skills often send defenders sprawling on the ground.
He is yet to keep his levels consistently high since his arrival, but, right now, the 21-year-old is among the very best attacking midfielders in Ghana’s elite division.
Richmond Lamptey (Kotoko)
When nearly every footballer in the world is surrounded by three players, there is a certain inevitability there will be a turnover in possession. Not with Richmond Lamptey, though.
Using body feints, close control, strength and guile, Lamptey often manages to squeeze out of tight spots with the ball and start attacks for the Porcupine Warriors.
A strong dribbler, the 26-year-old loves dragging defenders out of position, too, before releasing the ball at the perfect moment for a better-positioned teammate.
Lamptey is the man who progresses Kotoko’s counter-attacks, often winning the ball back with sharp interceptions before spraying it forward with his accurate passing ability.
Walid Fuseini Neymar (Nsoatreman SC)
Tenacious in defence and imperious in attack, Walid Fuseini Neymar is fleet-footed, incredibly intelligent and horribly intense; often all at the same time.
Neymar glides across the pitch whenever he is running with the ball, but his close control means he is always available to find a teammate at the precise perfect moment he needs to. He enjoys getting forward through intelligent runs, but prefers laying the ball on a plate to his teammates rather than shooting himself.
His slight stature allows him to nick balls off opponents, while his stamina means he simple never stops running. Perhaps the 23-year-old’s greatest quality, though, is his dribbling. Able to keep the ball glued to his foot, Neymar rarely loses possession and regularly takes defenders out of the game by committing them into mistimed tackles.
