Nigel Winterburn: Chris Waddle was the first ‘modern’ winger
Former Premier League defender Nigel Winterburn has told NewBettingOffers.co.uk that Chris Waddle was the first winger from his playing days that showed attributes and playing style associated with the ‘modern’ winger.
Speaking to NewBettingOffers.co.uk, Winterburn said: “The game is completely different now to how it was when I was a player, it’s far more possession-based. The teams that I played with and against were more direct and tried to play through the lines a bit quicker.
“Usually, you came up against wingers that wanted to take you and go on the outside. Chris Waddle was the first winger that showed signs of the ‘modern’ player, cutting inside from the right-hand side.
“Nowadays, players on the right are strong with their left foot, and those on the left can play with their right. There’s a lot more cutting in and linking up now, so I think the position has evolved with the game itself, so it’s really hard to compare wingers now to those I played with.”
Beckham and Overmars perfect examples of completely different old-guard wingers
Winterburn commented on players he used to play with, and how each of the wingers he’d either played with or come up against had their own unique style of playing on both sides, and how it was essential to identify those traits to keep them quiet during the games.
“David Beckham was completely different to players in that position now, I wouldn’t even call him a winger. He’d pick the ball up and just spray passes around. When I was playing left-back I wasn’t instructed to head up the pitch to track and mark players, the managers didn’t want us to vacate our position.
“Marc Overmars was a brilliant player with so much ability and close control, but he also had sheer power. In terms of his pace and strength, he was a great wide player for me to play around. There were lots of wide players with different attributes back then.”
Luis Figo at Barcelona was my toughest opponent
When challenged to name the greatest winger he ever played against, Winterburn cited Portuguese winger and Ballon d’Or winner Luis Figo as his hardest opposite man.
“If I had to pick one winger I played against who I’d say was my toughest opponent, it’d have to be Luis Figo when he was at Barcelona,” said Winterburn. “He was absolutely incredible. What you have to do as a full-back when you come up against a player like that is solve the equation and nullify their impact over 90 minutes.
“Playing in the Premier League and Champions League, you know you’re coming up against players who deserve to be there with huge talent. Defenders in my time had to know how to defend against these wingers who wanted to cause you harm and embarrass you!”
I wouldn’t shy away from any of the current wingers in the Premier League
Winterburn discussed how as a full-back, you have to be up for a battle against any winger, as that’s what playing at the top level requires.
“I’d be happy to play against any of the current wingers because I’m a huge believer in wanting to test yourself against the best week-in week-out and if you don’t want to do that then I don’t know why you’re playing!
“I played against some great players in my time, but I don’t like picking out any in particular because all these players are there for a reason and bring something different to the table and it’d be disrespectful to say one player is miles better than another.
“From my point of view, it’s just about identifying your opposite man’s unique strengths and nullifying them each game. That was my job back in the day, and for defenders in general. We were just trying to avoid embarrassment, which was what those wingers wanted to do to us.”
Top 20 Betting Offers
|
New customers only. 7 days to place qualifying bet of £10 at 1/1 (2.0) to receive 4 x £10 Free Bets: 1 x £10 football, 1 x £10 horse racing & 2 x £10 Bet Builders. Free Bets cannot be used on e-sports and non-UK/IE horse racing. 7 day expiry. Exclusions apply. Stake not returned. 18+. T&Cs apply. |
|||||
|
New customers online only. Eligibility restrictions apply. Only valid with code B10G40 on registration. £10 min qualifying bet at 1/1 (2.0) odds or greater across sports or racing (if EW then min £10 Win + £10 Place). Receive £20 Tote Credit, £10 Free Sports Bet and 50 Free Spins on a selected game within 48 hours of qualifying bet settlement. 7-day expiry on free bets & Tote Credit. Your first bet will be your qualifying bet. One per customer. UK & ROI customers only. 18+. Full T&Cs apply Gambleaware.org. Full T&Cs apply. |
|||||
|
18+ New customers only. Opt in and bet up to £40 (min. £20) via mobile or app on any football (odds 1/1+) within 7 days of registration. Get up to £40 in free bets on selected markets, which expire in 7 days. T&Cs apply, see below. GambleAware.org | Please gamble responsibly |
|||||
|
Offer valid for new BetTom customers. 50% of first day losses refunded as a free bet up to £25. Credited within 24 hours. 35x wagering requirement applies to free spins. Maximum takeout is £50 from free spins. 18+ Full terms apply. begambleware. |
|||||
|
Offer valid for new Betgoodwin customers aged 18 years and over. Min qualifying stake £10 at odds of 6/4+. Excludes horse & greyhound racing. Min 4 legs at odds of 2/5+ for £10 free acca. Full Terms apply. begambleaware |
|||||
|
New players. Choose bonus at signup / use code SPORT. Wager deposit+bonus 8x. Max bet = bonus. Deposit used 1st. Early withdrawals void bonus. Valid 60 days. Odds, bet & payment limits. T&Cs apply. 18+. |
|||||
|
T&Cs apply. 18+ New customers only. You must place a single win-only bet of £10 or more with odds of evens (2.00) or greater to qualify. Money back as £10 in free bets. Free bet is credited the day after the qualifying bet has settled. Must use code B10G10 when creating an account. |
|||||
|
18+ New Customers only. Certain deposit methods & bet types excl. 1st Deposit & Bet £/€10+ at min odds 1/2 on Sports within 14 days of account reg & Get 4x £10 Free Bets (selected sportsbook markets only, valid 7 days) Max 1 Free Bet per player. Restrictions + T&Cs apply. |
|||||
|
18+, UK only. Deposit and place a £10 cash bet at single or accumulated odds of 1/2 (1.5) or greater and we will give you £10 in free bets. Free bets credited as 4 x £5 Void or 'Draw No Bet' wagers do not qualify for this promotion. Available once per customer. Free bets will be credited at bet settlement and will expire 7 days after being credited. Full T&Cs apply. |
|||||
|
18+. New UK & ROI customers only . Certain deposit methods & bet types excl . Min first £10 win or E/W bet within 14 days of account reg at min odds 1/2 & get 4 x £10 free bets . Free bets valid for 7 days, stake not returned. No cashout, restrictions + T&C apply |
|||||
|
New Customers Only. To qualify, deposit and place a minimum £10 bet on any sport. Then, place two additional qualifying bets, each worth at least 50% of your largest initial stake. Quinnbet will credit your account with a Free Bet up to £25, the following day 18+ T&Cs Apply. Gamble Responsibly. |
|||||
|
*New members only. £10+ bet on sports (ex. Virtuals) 1.5 min odds, settled within 14 days. Free Bets: accept in 7 days, valid 7 days; £20 use on sportsbook, £10 on Bet Builder. Stake not returned. T&Cs + deposit exclusions apply. Bet Responsibly. GambleAware.org. 18+ |
|||||
|
New members only. £10+ bet on sports (ex. virtuals) at 1.5 min odds, settled within 14 days. Free Bets: accepted in 7 days, valid 7 days; £20 use on sportsbook, £10 on Bet Builder. Stake not returned. T&Cs + deposit exclusions apply. Bet Responsibly. GambleAware.org. 18+ |
|||||
|
Place a £10 fixed odds bet at minimum odds of 1/2 and get 3 x £10 free fixed odds bets, 3 x £5 Total Goals football spread bets and 3 x £5 Winning Favourites spread bets and a £1 racing Race Index spread bet.18+. Full T&Cs apply. www.gambleaware.org. |
|||||
|
18+ | GambleAware.org | New accounts only. Min Deposit £10, Claim offer within 7 days, bonus expires after 30 days, debit card or instant bank transfer only. Game contributions vary, max stake applies. Full terms apply. #AD |
|||||
|
New customers only. Register, deposit with Debit Card, and place first bet £10+ at Evens (2.0)+ on Sports within 7 days to get 3 x £10 in Sports Free Bets & 2 x £10 in Acca Free Bets within 10 hours of settlement. 7-day expiry. Eligibility exclusions & T&Cs Apply. |
|||||
|
18+. BeGambleAware.org. New GB customers only. Min £10 debit card deposit. Place a £10+ bet at Evens (2.0)+ on Sports within 7 days. Opt in for £20 sports free bet and £20 Casino Bonus. Valid for 7 days. Geographical restrictions and T&C’s apply. #AD |
|||||
|
#AD | Welcome bonus for new players only | Maximum bonus is 100% up to £100 | Min. deposit is £10 | No max cash out | Wagering is 40x bonus | Maximum bet with an active bonus is £5 | Eligibility is restricted for suspected abuse | Skrill & Neteller deposits excluded for welcome bonus | Cashback when offered, applies to deposits where no bonus is included | Cashback is cash with no restrictions | T&C's apply |Free bet: Min odds: 2.0 - Free bet value will be deducted from free bet winnings | 18+ | BeGambleAware.org | Gambling is addictive, please gamble responsibly! |
|||||
|
New sportsbook customers only. Place £10 first bet at min odds 1/2 to get £20 Free Bet. Stake not returned. Free Bet valid 7 days, min odds 1/2. Settled bets only. One welcome offer per customer (not with 50% Net Loss Refund). 18+. Full T&Cs apply. |
|||||
|
18+ New customers only. Opt in, bet £10 at odds 2.00+ within 10 days, no cashout. Get 6x £5 Free Bets, set events at odds 2.00+. 7 day bonus expiry. Click for T&Cs. Please Gamble Responsibly. |
