In football, you know a player is successful when they have a position on the pitch named exclusively after them.
Only one man can really lay claim to that title, with French legend Claude Makelele a revolutionary figure in the defensive midfield department.
The former Real Madrid and Chelsea icon redefined the role, showing that having a midfielder for the sole purpose of defending would benefit the entire team as a unit.
THE MAKELELE ROLE
What the Frenchman also possessed was a stunning range of passing and the ability to recycle the ball at will while nullifying the opposition's attack.
No player is yet to match the greatness of Makelele, although the likes of Sergio Busquets, N'Golo Kante and Casemiro have all had a pretty good go.
He first forged his reputation as a world beater with La Liga side Celta Vigo, where his brilliant performances attracted the advances of Real Madrid.
By 2000, he had completed a mega-money move to Los Blancos; however, the way in which the transfer was conducted was rather shady.
Recent revelations from his agent Marc Roger reveal the amazing circumstances with which the move between the two Spanish clubs was completed.
He published the details in his new autobiography.
THE REMARKABLE STORY
"To force Celta's hand we presented a complaint to the police stating that fans had attacked the player's car," he writes, per Mirror, before revealing "but I threw the stones at his car windows, with Makelele's consent of course."
Wow, so basically, the two staged a crime in order to secure Makelele his dream move. Imagine the media circus if a player and agent were caught doing the same in the modern day.
Thankfully, his transfer to Chelsea a few years later was done legally, with the Frenchman enjoying a hugely successful spell at Stamford Bridge.
However, Makelele wasn't a fan of Jose Mourinho as he revealed some startling details in his autobiography.
MAKELELE'S MOURINHO COMMENTS
"For two years we were like a group of friends, then Mourinho arrived and he ruined everything," claims Makelele, per Goal.
"There was an extraordinary solidarity, but he destroyed everything by excluding key elements, and treating other players like stars.
"In 2006/07 Mourinho moved away from the players, and the brotherhood spirit we had in the group ended.
"In his third season, he forgot about the players to take all the merits himself. He used to get scared if a player came under the spotlight more than him."
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