The Genius of Left Footedness

According to the statistics 80% of professional football players are right footed, which means that left footed players are something of a rarity. However, when we consider some of the greatest names to play the game we do start to see a trend, what we see is that although only 1 in 5 players are predominately left footed, some of the best players ever have been lefty’s. And at this World Cup some of best players at the tournament are left footed, not to mention the absence of Gareth Bale whose Welsh side didn't qualify. For 20% of the football population there is a fair amount of brilliance in there. So what makes the left footer different, or more special? Is it just that they do things differently, or is it a case of something else at play?

One of the classic comments you hear when discussing a left footed player is "yes, he's good but he is very one footed". It is a strange comment, as right footers aren't criticised for their inability to use their 'other' foot. Perhaps it is because right footedness is the dominant side and thus left footers look 'strange'. And yes of course having the ability to use two feet is important yet it appears that if you were going to choose which foot to be, wouldn't left footed be the option? 

Creative genius

If you asked someone to name some of the greatest players in football you would probably hear the names Diego Maradona, Ferenc Puskas and Alfredo Di Stefano. If you asked them some players in recent decades you may hear names like Pavel Nedved, Raul, Ryan Giggs, Roberto Carlos, Christian Vieri and Paolo Maldini. What do all these players have in common? Well they are all left footed. 

In this first week of the World Cup we have been fortunate to have witnessed games which have focused on positive, attacking play. The games have been exciting and entertaining and because of this the ‘best’ players have shone. We are seeing a World Cup where creativity is promoted and rewarded. And what has been interesting so far is how left footers have made significant impacts on the games. 

Lionel Messi needs no introduction and the pressure on him to perform is the highest. He proved his talent once more in the first game when he scored a sublime goal, the type of which we have seen so many these past several years. He is the closest to thing to Maradona the game has. His Argentinian teammate Angel Di Maria has been exceptional this past season for Real Madrid, playing a key role in their Champions League success. Both are left footed.

David Silva and Mesut Ozil, two of the world’s best playmakers were excellent in their opening games, replicating the form they have shown in recent years. Both are left footed. Robin Van Persie and Arjen Robben destroyed Spain in the second half with their movement, intelligence and skill yet it was perhaps Van Persie's ingenious lobbed header which changed the game. It was a moment of creative genius, sheer brilliance and evidence of his creative brain. Daley Blind their young teammate from Ajax assisted for two of their goals with tow delightful left footed passes. All three are left footed.

Daniel Sturridge has had a sensational 18 months for Liverpool and capped his first World Cup game off with a goal (albeit with his right, yet he is a lefty). And James Rodriquez, Colombia’s No. 10 shone in their opener playing a big part in the first two goals before scoring himself near the end. He is the classic 10; creative, skilful and intelligent. Possessing great vision and awareness. In fact all these players listed have these traits. So is it a left footed thing? Do they all share a natural creative gene? It does appear that when we think of some of these of great left footed players we conjure words and images such as artistry, creative and genius. 

Freedom to express 

Many decades ago football was characterised by rigid systems which most often built their framework on symmetry. Therefore left sided players played on the left and right footed on the right. As coaches became more creative however players were given more licence to roam and create, one only has to think of Rinus Michels totalfootball at Ajax to see what positional freedom and fluidity produced.

Yet it is Diego Maradona who is arguably the best player ever and his talent of dribbling, of beating players and creating and scoring goals secured two World Cup’s for his country Argentina, made Napoli one of Italy’s best sides and made him one of the best ever. He was one of the most creative genius' football has seen, possessing a character and determination to fulfil his potential. Was it his left footedness which made his talent so great?

We seem to accept that a left footed player will offer something ‘different’ and according to research it appears left footed players do actually have a gene that makes them more creative and inventive over right footed players. In a study conducted by the universities of Oxford, St Andrews and Bristol, in conjunction with several Australian institutions they found that players who favour their left foot have “inverted brain hemisphere functions, which gives them an extra dose of unpredictability”. 

The artistry, wizardry and creativity of the likes we are seeing in the World Cup would appear to show there is an element of truth to this. As science shows, the secret is in their DNA. The research ascertained that a left footers originality can help the player develop ideas and solutions during games. They also give credit to left footers inventing new tricks, flicks and skills. So it begs the question why there aren’t more left footed players in the game? As with always it comes down to youth development. A particularly relevant issue when looking at England.

The pigeon holing problem

Many people have pointed to English football’s inability to produce ‘creative’ players. Well as I wrote in my book "The Way Forward" English football has struggled to produce creative, skilful players because we have had a culture which has prioritised strength, bravery and doggedness over craft, skill and intelligence 

English football has suffered and struggled to compete with the top nations because of what the FA promoted, because of their theories on the game. While the Dutch, Brasilians and Argentinians were producing skilful attacking players playing a brand of football which was expansive and creative, England was building its foundation on rigidity and functionality. Thus the type of players required for this style denied opportunities for creative players. 

Now when we look at the attributes of a left footed player, their increased creativity and inventiveness then we can see why the country has struggled to produce any left footed ‘geniuses’. Could this cultural problem be the reason for England’s lack of creativity?

It does appear that there has been a certain neglect of the left footed player in England. 

Why has English football never produced a left footed player of a world class calibre? Well it has to do with how they are developed. In England the development of a left footer is ‘rare’. The reason appears to be because from a young age having a left footer in the side is not common, perhaps only one player in the team is left footed. Thus these players are most often played on the left side, either in defence or on the wing. It is a limiting experience for creativity. 

When we look at players like Lionel Messi and Arjen Robben, we see left footed players who play on the right, allowing them to come inside and play more centrally. At Ajax they seek left footed players to play in the creative positions of midfield, as they believe that left footed players tend to be more creative. Just look at Daley Blind’s impact for Holland and Ajax these past few years. The left footed creative playmaker Rafael Van Der Vaart came through their system.

Yet in England, left footed means playing on the left, and for a long time that was pretty much it. While playing out on the left side, many left footed players are not as involved in the game as others, they are restricted to the channel, with coaches denying them the chance to move inside and join the play. When they are in possession they will often look to move on the outside of a player as they will seek to move on their favourite side. Yet what if English youth developers sought to replicate how Ajax positon their left footed players, forcing their recruitment to find a balance between left and right footers? Perhaps English football could produce more creative players?

Imagine if the left footer was placed in the centre of midfield or out on the right. Imagine how much more of the ball they would have, imagine what positions they could take up, where they could run with the ball.

Ironically English youth development has produced two of the best left footers in the game; Ryan Giggs and Gareth Bale. Yet they aren't English. Both are Welsh lads who were nurtured by Manchester United and Southampton. Two academies where skill, creativity and attacking flair was and is promoted. Had they moved elsewhere would they have become the players we know today? Unfortunately too many academies will put their left footer at left back and show a distrust of their skill and creativity. By doing this we create functional, robotic players and our creative left footer fails to nurture the attributes which could help them become a great player. Nature may give these left footers the tools for greatness, yet it is nurture which can enhance or deny them.

Both Giggs and Bale were fortunate to have youth coaches and then managers who helped nurture their creativity and skill. Giggs excelled under Ferguson as a winger and a central midfielder and Bale’s development under Harry Redknapp allowed him to showcase his attacking talent. Bale may not have developed into the player he is now had he been forced to be just a left back. This pigeon holing of left footers, denying them the chance to be more expansive and creative, to use their skill and ingenuity, has denied English football the development of true creative talent.

If it is true that a left footer does possess more creativity and expression than right footed players then coaches and academies should be seeking to bring out the best of these players and not pigeon holing them into positions out wide, on the left of the pitch. It is England’s rigid style of football which has limited the development of these key players and which has ultimately stunted their development.  

Could we take this advice on-board in our academies and look to develop players for the modern game? In order to meet fluid game situations we need to develop players who understand how and when to change roles and who are able to play in multiple positions. We need academies and coaches who are willing to allow players and their teams to experiment and be creative, away from safe fixed formations and ‘results’ driven outcomes.  

There is no doubt we lack the balance of left footed attackers and midfielders. Although Ashley Cole and Leighton Baines have proven to be excellent full backs could they have been even better had they been played on the right wing? Or even in central midfield? Gareth Barry started as a left back yet he was moved to central midfield during his time at Aston Villa and became one of England’s most accomplished central midfielders. It was proof that he could do more than be a left back, yet needed a manager with bravery and imagination to experiment and provide an opportunity.

Middlesborough have produced two excellent left footed wingers in Stewart Downing and Adam Johnson, yet while Downing is seen more as a classic winger Johnson has benefited more from playing on the right coming inside on his left. They could have just played him at left back yet sought to enhance his attacking talent, not deny it. 

We should be happy that Daniel Sturridge, arguably England’s most creative left footed player at this time, was not moved to fill a left back role when he was younger as we could have lost another player to the system. 

Hopefully English youth developers will seek to recruit more left footers and have the imagination and bravery to play them in varied positions. The time to think of left footers as left backs needs to end. If we wish to be a more creative nation in terms of football then we need to stop killing creativity at a young age by denying young players the chance to express and create. More imagination, innovation and creativity in coaching and academies will allow player development to flourish much more.

One only to has to look at the players at this tournament; Messi, Van Persie, Robben, Silva, Ozil and James Rodriquez to see what left footed players offer. To develop our own we need to change our cultural perspective about the left footer, because we don’t want to miss a chance to develop a genius.

The Whitehouse Address @The_W_Address