Real Madrid midfielder Toni Kroos has admitted his is enjoying his more defensive role in the team compared to the one he played at Bayern Munich.
The 25-year-old joined Los Blancos last summer from the Bundesliga outfit shortly after winning the World Cup with Germany. Many expected him to take up a role further forward and being involved in the creative side of things.
But he’s instead been used to anchor the midfield at the Santiago Bernabeu, a role he has mastered already. He’s quietly gone about his work and has established himself as one of the key figures in the starting 11.
Speaking to the FIFA website, Kroos admitted he is playing a slightly different role to the one he was used to but he’s enjoying every minute of it.
“We tend to play with three central midfielders and at the moment I have the more defensive role – and have done since the beginning of the season. I very much enjoy playing there,” he said.
“Of course the coach sets out certain demands for playing in that position, but those coincide with my own interpretation of how to play there. So in that regard I’m delighted with how things are going.
“Over the years I’ve been moving further back bit by bit and that’s fine by me. In Madrid it’s important that we have the right balance. Normally we have a lot of very attack-minded players on the pitch, so for me it’s almost of secondary importance to get forward.
“Instead, I focus on how the game is going in the middle of the park and that we’re well positioned.”
