LEFT CENTRE-BACK

A left back who is deployed on the left side of a three man defence. The nature of this role is exclusively defensive, combining elements of a central defensive role with the marking duties of a full-back when dealing with threats from out wide. Therefore defenders who feature in this role are usually physically imposing yet possess the agility and the balance to cope with the greatest of wide forwards or wingers. Prominent examples include Paulo Maldini or Schnellinger.

LEFT FULL-BACK

A left back who is deployed on the left side of a four man defence. Responsibilities tend to be balanced between defence and attack but this is not set in stone, as it can depend on the tactical instructions provided by a manager and the nature of the player themselves and what attributes they bring to the game. In the modern game, the vast majority of full backs are attacking in nature and encouraged to focus on supporting their winger, so they almost operate like wing-backs. Prominent examples include Andreas Brehme or Bixente Lizarazu.

LEFT WING-BACK

The wing-back is a modern variation on the full-back with heavier emphasis on attack. This type of defender focuses more heavily on attack than defence, yet they must have the ability, when needed, to fall back and mark opposing players to lessen the threat of conceding a goal-scoring opportunity. A wing-back needs to possess exceptional stamina, be able to contribute to build up play down the flanks, as well as provide dangerous crosses upfield in addition to defending effectively against opponents' attacks down the flanks in conjunction with their left centre-back and nearest defending midfielder. A prominent example would be Roberto Carlos.