Being a central midfielder is one of the toughest jobs in football.
The person assigned the complex role is expected to contribute heavily in both defence and attack, while also attempting to dictate the tempo of a match.
Only the very finest footballers enjoy a successful career in the middle of the park.
Judging a central midfielder's quality can often be quite difficult, due to the sheer number of facets attached to the role.
In truth, you have to look at many different areas to truly assess a player's profile, from passing stats to defensive contributions - and that's not always easy.
So instead of trawling through various websites in search of niche data, we're instead going to look at the easiest way to judge a central midfielder; goals and assists.
The kind folks over at PopFoot have helped out massively in that regard.
They've provided a detailed list containing the 20 most prolific central midfielders of the 21st century, at club and international level combined.
Just so you're aware, PopFoot's list focuses strictly on central midfielders, so number 10s like Kevin De Bruyne, Mesut Ozil and Kaka don't feature at all.
The 20 most prolific midfielders of the 21st century
20. Paul Pogba - 172 goal contributions
Goals: 85 | Assists: 87
19. Aaron Ramsey - 174 goal contributions
Goals: 97 | Assists: 77
18. Marouane Fellaini - 182 goal contributions
Goals: 125 | Assists: 57
17. Yaya Toure - 204 goal contributions
Goals: 122 | Assists: 82
16. Gini Wijnaldum - 204 goal contributions
Goals: 143 | Assists: 61
SEVILLE, SPAIN - NOVEMBER 21: Georginio Wijnaldum of Liverpool FC reacts during the UEFA Champions League group E match between Sevilla FC and Liverpool FC at Estadio Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan on November 21, 2017 in Seville, Spain. (Photo by Aitor Alcalde/Getty Images)
15. Joao Moutinho - 205 goal contributions
Goals: 65 | Assists: 140
14. Bastian Schweinsteiger - 210 goal contributions
Goals: 102 | Assists: 108
13. Andrea Pirlo - 226 goal contributions
Goals: 86 | Assists: 140
12. Miralem Pjanic - 230 goal contributions
Goals: 91 | Assists: 139
11. Arturo Vidal - 233 goal contributions
Goals: 146 | Assists: 87
TURIN, ITALY - APRIL 21: Arturo Vidal of Juventus FC celebrates victory at the end of the Serie A match Juventus FC v AC Milan at Juventus Arena on April 21, 2013 in Turin, Italy. (Photo by Valerio Pennicino/Getty Images)
10. Paul Scholes - 252 goal contributions
Goals: 169 | Assists: 83
9. Luka Modric - 263 goal contributions
Goals: 120 | Assists: 143
8. Ivan Rakitic - 263 goal contributions
Goals: 124 | Assists: 139
7. Toni Kroos - 265 goal contributions
Goals: 73 | Assists: 192
6. Clarence Seedorf - 267 goal contributions
Goals: 147 | Assists: 120
MILAN, ITALY - MAY 01: Clarence Seedorf of AC Milan looks on during the Serie A match between AC Milan and ACF Fiorentina at Stadio Giuseppe Meazza on May 1, 2010 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Valerio Pennicino/Getty Images)
5. Andres Iniesta - 273 goal contributions
Goals: 101 | Assists: 172
4. Xavi Hernandez - 335 goal contributions
Goals: 126 | Assists: 209
3. Cesc Fabregas - 370 goal contributions
Goals: 140 | Assists: 230
2. Steven Gerrard - 381 goal contributions
Goals: 212 | Assists: 169
1.Frank Lampard - 467 goal contributions
STOKE-ON-TRENT, ENGLAND - JANUARY 12: Frank Lampard of Chelsea celebrates during the Barclays Premier League match between Stoke City and Chelsea at the Britannia Stadium on January 12, 2013, in Stoke-on-Trent, England. (Photo by Chris Brunskill/Getty Images)
Yeah, Lampard was an absolute joke of a footballer. The Chelsea legend leads a list full of true icons of the game.
It's a slight surprise that Liverpool great Gerrard is only just ahead of Fabregas, which suggests the Spaniard still remains slightly underrated by the masses.
The fact Fabregas is well ahead of Scholes, Iniesta and Xavi is seriously impressive.
Premier League quiz: Can you name these 40 players from the 2010s?
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