what do you think is the most important trait(s) as a football player?

Always wanted to ask this question tbh..

For me, the first, and by far the first is your footy iq/ whatever you want to call it. You can be the slowest player, the weakest physically, but if you think two steps of your opponent you will have a giant advantage imo.. much more then people think. You can anticipate attacks faster as a defender and tackle smarter, you can pass the ball quicker before someone gets to you, you can score loads of goals by positioning yourself perfectly..

The second imo is your athleticism.. before you get me wrong, i'm saying this because the modern game is so physical.. fitness is so important compared to back then, and it will be even more emphasized in the future imo. High pressing teams are more and more popular, and pacey players are required to play a good counter attacking game

Your third is the fundamentals.. if you cant juggle, pass, dribble, or shoot a ball as good as the other person, you'll be much more limited obviously

I'd say discipline. You can have all the talent of the world, if you don't work on it permanently, it won't be much use.

rwo power wrote:I'd say discipline. You can have all the talent of the world, if you don't work on it permanently, it won't be much use.

decision making i guess

I'm going to have to agree with you on the most important trait being football intelligence. I would elaborate further if you hadn't explained it so well.

The second trait for me would be discipline. Whether that be on the field, or off the field. If a player is willing to put the right things into their body, get adequate sleep, train with a purpose and more, they will already have an advantage over any player. Talent is great, but if you don't apply yourself and continue to grow, you are going to plateau sooner than later. My sensei always said that while you're relaxing, your opponent is out there training.

Funny enough my third is actually fundamentals. You can have all the intelligence and fitness in the world, but that would all be for not if you can't control the football. The better your control, the more time/space you have and that will make a world of difference.

Professionalism. Doesn't go with just footy but for pretty much every occupation in existance.

passion.

Passion, Discipline & IQ/Game reading/Tactical awareness