Midfielder

Darren Fletcher, a Scottish midfielder, who plays for Manchester United.

A midfielder in football is a player who usually plays in the centre of the field, hence the name, mid-fielder. There are usually a number of midfielders in each team of football, and are normally split into three: attacking; central; and defending.

The midfielders are normally the second part of the formation numbers, for example:

• 4-3-3 is the formation. This formation shows that there are four defenders, three midfielders and three attackers.
• 4-4-2 is the formation. This formation shows that there are four defenders, four midfielders and two attackers.
• 3-4-3 is the formation. This formation shows that there are three defenders, four midfielders and three attackers.

A midfielder place in the middle