As a wingback you’ll be a cross between winger and fullback. Buth, the main difference between these two is that you will be much more offensive then a regular fullback.
However, you still have a lot of defensive responsibilities which means that you can’t just jog back once your team loses the ball.
Crucial Ability
The most important ability you need to have in order to succeed as WB is the ability to run 80-90 yards up and down the field (tirelessly).
With other words, your stamina levels must be at the top; otherwise you’ll find yourself breathless just after few runs.
What about the ball skills? Well, I’ve already said that you will participate in your team’s offensive which means that you need to:
- Be able to dribble your opponents.
- Be able to perform quality and accurate crosses by using the both feet.
- Be able to keep the ball under control while running at high speed.
Biggest Advantage
One of the biggest benefits with playing as WB is that you will be physically and strategically placed at the center of the game. The main drawback is that you’ll rarely be able to score goals.
However, you should know that an assist is equally important as scoring the goal. So, with other words, you’ll get your 5 minutes in the spotlight because you will assist many goals with your quality and accurate crosses.
Self Study
To get a feeling on how to play as WB, I advise you to study Dani Alves and Maicon which are both playing for Brazil.
By doing that you’ll be able to notice what they are doing in particular situations which should give you a brief idea on how to play on this position.