Editing Utility player (section)

== Association football ==
{{further|:Category:Association football utility players}}

In association football, like other sports, a utility player can play in several positions in the outfield.

Nowadays, most outfield players, especially midfielders, at the professional level can play multiple positions. The most common dual role is when a central defender is played in the left or right full-back position. This often occurs due to injuries to starting full-backs. As central defenders are usually taller, slower, and less technically adept in crossing and attacking play, such a change in position is often accompanied by a tactical shift designed to ensure the player remains in a more defensive posture than regular full-backs would be in. Another common dual role is for faster attacking players to be used as a forward, winger, or a combination of the two roles – known as a "wing-forward".

Examples include Frenchman [[Eduardo Camavinga]] of [[Real Madrid CF|Real Madrid]], a midfielder who can also function as a left-sided full-back or winger. Spaniard [[Sergi Roberto]] played in seven different positions, including full-back, centre-back, midfielder and winger, at [[FC Barcelona|Barcelona]] between 2016 and 2018. [[Manchester United F.C.|Manchester United]]'s [[Phil Jones (footballer, born 1992)|Phil Jones]] has been used as a right-back and centre-back while also taking up midfield roles at times. Another defender, [[Bjørn Paulsen]] from Denmark, is also adept on the wing or in the centre of midfield and has also successfully taken the role of striker, especially when his teams were losing. [[James Milner]], who made over 200 league appearances for [[Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool]], has played in central midfield, full-back, winger and even striker.<ref>{{Cite web|title=James Milner: Virgil van Dijk, Vincent Kompany, versatility and more|url=https://www.skysports.com/football/news/15117/11981629/james-milner-virgil-van-dijk-vincent-kompany-versatility-and-more|access-date=2020-11-24|website=Sky Sports|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2015-05-26|title=Macintosh: Milner elite but without fanfare|url=https://www.espn.co.uk/football/blog/espn-fc-united/68/post/2466499/james-milner-versatility-makes-him-elite-without-the-fanfare|access-date=2020-11-24|website=ESPN.com|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Squires|first=Theo|date=2018-12-09|title=Incredible James Milner masters yet ANOTHER position|url=https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/incredible-james-milner-masters-another-15525891|access-date=2020-11-24|website=Liverpool Echo|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2014-12-20|title=James Milner: Manchester City and England player has now played in every position except in goal and centre-back|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/james-milner-manchester-city-and-england-player-has-now-played-every-position-except-goal-and-centre-back-9937620.html|access-date=2020-11-24|website=The Independent|language=en}}</ref> Chinese international [[Yu Dabao]] started his career as a striker, but has transitioned between defence and attack ever since [[Roger Schmidt (footballer)|Roger Schmidt]] took charge of his club [[Beijing Guoan F.C.|Beijing Guoan]].

[[Ivaylo Yordanov]], [[Lee McCulloch]], [[Magnus Erlingmark]] and especially [[Ruud Gullit]] had played in many outfield roles, with the Dutchman in particular having the ability to change positions within a single game to fill in gaps caused by substitutions. Former Irish international [[John O'Shea]] is known for playing in all positions in his tenure with Manchester United. Even further back in time, some footballers had a high degree of versatility: [[Bill Lacey (footballer)|Bill Lacey]], who played his top-flight football with Everton and Liverpool during the pre-war and inter-war periods, played in all eleven traditional positions (10 outfield plus goalkeeper) in his career; [[John Charles]], a legendary figure both in his native Wales and [[Juventus FC|Juventus]] of Italy, was both a striker and centre-back in his playing days; and [[1966 FIFA World Cup]] winner [[Martin Peters]], who played in every position, including goalkeeper in particularly dire situations, for [[West Ham United F.C.|West Ham United]].

In the [[Women's association football|women's game]], notable examples are China's [[Wang Shanshan]] and the United States' [[Crystal Dunn]], as well as Germans [[Simone Laudehr]] and [[Linda Bresonik]].

Some outfield players have also made competent substitute [[Goalkeeper (association football)|goalkeeper]]s, for example [[Phil Jagielka]], [[Jan Koller]] (originally trained as a goalkeeper before converting into a striker) and [[Cosmin Moți]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/liverpool/11094410/Liverpool-v-Ludogorets-Razgrad-When-defender-Cosmin-Moti-was-hero-of-penalty-shoot-out-playing-in-goal.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220112/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/liverpool/11094410/Liverpool-v-Ludogorets-Razgrad-When-defender-Cosmin-Moti-was-hero-of-penalty-shoot-out-playing-in-goal.html |archive-date=2022-01-12 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=Liverpool v Ludogorets Razgrad: When defender Cosmin Moti was hero of penalty shoot-out - playing in goal|first=Jason|last=Burt|date=13 September 2014|via=www.telegraph.co.uk}}{{cbignore}}</ref> But in the case of goalkeepers playing as outfield players, it is extremely rare; [[David James (footballer, born 1970)|David James]] for [[Manchester City F.C.|Manchester City]] in 2005 match against [[Middlesbrough F.C.|Middlesbrough]] for one instance. Some may be free kick and penalty specialists ([[Rogério Ceni]], [[José Luis Chilavert]], [[Jorge Campos]], etc.), but they do not hold a proper outfield role.