WILLIAM CARVALHO
Portugal boast genuine superstars but apart from Ronaldo, the most consistent and best-performing player over the past two years has been the relatively low-profile William Carvalho.
Known simply as “William” in his homeland, his build and position on the pitch can be deceiving. Fernando Santos has entrusted the Real Betis player with a broader range of duties than a conventional holding midfielder whose remit is primarily to blunt the opposition. William has licence to push up the pitch, especially when paired with the more defensive Danilo. The result is a dynamic performer who fully harnesses his ability to carry the ball forward and pick out team-mates with accurate passes, as well as beefing up what is for the most part a lightweight team in terms of physicality.
William’s wonderfully inventive passing range makes him the perfect conduit both for transforming defence to attack, and to keep the attacking momentum in full flow when Portugal are applying pressure, adding yet another layer to their extensive array of offensive weapons.