3. Esteban Cambiasso (Inter Milan)
Argentina international (52 caps)

Let’s start my description off with this: Cambiasso is one of the most underrated players in the world. Case in point, Real Madrid allowed the midfielder on a free after they decided to sign Danish Thomas Gravesen (who only went on to play a solitary season for Los Blancos), only for the Argentine to become a linchpin in Inter’s dominant run over the last few years.

But despite all of the success that Inter had during that spell (15 trophies), you would rarely hear the guy’s name brought up during pundit discussions. But that’s mostly because Cambiasso does his job so well that you barely have to notice him. Much in the same way that you rarely noticed Makélélé in his prime, Cambiasso is just a hard runner who get’s things done in the midfield. Without him, dynamic players like Wesley Sneijder would never be able to operate effectively. It will be interesting to see how the Nerazzurri try to replace him in the coming years, seeing how he has a lot of miles on his meter at age 31.

2. Yaya Touré (Manchester City)
Ivory Coast international (58 caps)

While leaving Barcelona for Manchester City might seem like it would be a backwards move for just about anyone, Yaya is making a point that it could actually be a positive step in his career. The arrival of the younger Touré brother at Easltands is one of the major reasons that City have improved so dramatically over the last two years.

Originally thought of as solely a defensive midfielder during his Barça days, Yaya has shown that he is skilled enough to play any central midfield position that you could place him in. In City’s sky blues, the Ivorian has dominated playing in the whole behind a central striker (Ex: the FA Cup final and semifinal, where he scored both game-winning goals), as well as playing in a holding role ahead of Gareth Barry or Nigel de Jong.

And though, physically, he’s a beast due to his size and surprising speed (people that tall should not be so fast), I decided to pass on him simply because he seemed a bit of a primadona when he demanded that City make him the highest paid player in the Premier League to leave the Nou Camp.

1. Bastian Schweinsteiger (Bayern Munich)
German international (90 caps)
FIFA World Cup All-Star Team (2010), Silbernes Lorbeerblatt (2006, 2010)

Just looking at pictures of this guy, and you can’t really think of anything but “enforcer.” I don’t think I’m in the minority when I say that if Bastian would have been born 70 years earlier, he would have been hand-picked to be an SS officer on looks alone… but then again, maybe I am the only one who thinks that.

However, I know that by picking the Bavarian midfielder to play a more defensive role means that I’d be playing him a bit out of position. Though he didn’t really blossom as a player until he was moved to the left wing or in a more advanced midfield role by Felix Maggath in 2005, I think the German’s future lies in a more conservative role. His size, strength and excellent distribution will make him an ideal possession oriented player sitting a bit in front of the back four. With a more advanced center back like David Luiz filling the space just behind him, I would free him up to play a little more offensively than your average defensive midfielder. A risky move for sure, but I think it could be effective.

Schweinsteiger becomes my seventh selection. Surprisingly, he’s the first German I’ve named to my roster, especially considering I started by naming all of my defensive positions.

So, dedicated readers, was seeing Bastian picked worth the long wait? Think I should have selected another, “more defensive” defensive midfielder? As always, feel free to skewer my decisions in the comments.

• goalkeeper
• left back
• right back
• center back (libero)
• center back
• holding center mid