Full-backs do not traditionally dominate the headlines, but they are more important than ever in the modern game. With help from legendary left-back Roberto Carlos, Nick Wright examines how the least fashionable position on the pitch has become integral to success...
It didn't seem funny at the time, but two decades on Roberto Carlos can crack a smile as he remembers the events that led to his departure from Inter Milan in 1996.
"I had a little problem when I was at Inter," he tells Sky Sports. "I'm a Brazilian and I love to attack, but they wanted to play with four defenders who weren't allowed to go forward."
The exciting young Brazilian had only arrived in Italy a year earlier, but Inter manager Ottavio Bianchi had been unexpectedly replaced by a certain Roy Hodgson, who felt he lacked the defensive discipline to play as a full-back. Roberto Carlos was used on the wing, up front and even in central midfield. By the end of the campaign, he'd had enough.