Miguel

At his peak, Miguel gave Portugal the kind of right back every attacking team secretly needs: fast enough to stretch the flank, strong enough to survive duels and technical enough to play through pressure without panicking. Benfica launched him as an energetic wide player, but Valencia refined him into a more complete full back, aggressive in transition and dangerous when overlapping at speed. He was not always flawless defensively, especially when the match became stretched, but his athletic tools and confidence on the ball made him one of Europe's better right backs in the mid 2000s. For Portugal, especially around Euro 2004 and the 2006 World Cup, he offered width, intensity and a modern profile on the right side. A dynamic full back with pace, personality and real attacking value.