 His preferred position was in a free playmaking role behind the forwards, as a creative attacking midfielder, although he was rarely deployed in this position throughout his career due to the prevalence of the 4–4–2 formation, in which he usually functioned either as a main striker or – more frequently – in a supporting role as a deep–lying forward.It was only in later years that he was able to play in this free role more frequently.He was also occasionally deployed out of position as a left winger in an attacking trident, as a wide midfielder, or even in central midfield as a "mezzala" or deep-lying playmaker on rarer instances.