Vurnon Anita is capable of playing in both defence and midfield for Newcastle United.
Rafael Benitez has told NUTV that he believes Vurnon Anita could play in every position on the field.
Anita has been stationed as a defender and a midfielder throughout his time at Newcastle, with mixed success in each position.
The Dutch midfielder is a capable full-back, but he has also excelled in midfield over his time at Newcastle.
More recently, Benitez has used Anita as a wide-midfielder, and the Dutch international impressed in the Magpies’ latest match against Southend United, when he got on the scoresheet.
“He is a player who can play in almost every position, I don’t know if he can play as a striker, maybe as a target man…but we will try maybe one day,” Benitez said.
“He is very clever tactically – can play on the right, can play as a right-back, as a winger and a left full-back, as a midfielder – so he is quite intelligent tactically.”
Anita’s versatility could be crucial for Newcastle in the upcoming season, as it means he can cover a range of positions across the field.
Whether Anita will feature in Newcastle’s starting line-up remains up for debate, but he is certainly a valuable part of Rafael Benitez’s squad.
The Magpies have put together a strong team for the upcoming campaign, and the bookmakers have them as heavy favourites to win the Championship.
Newcastle are due to start their season with a match against Fulham at Craven Cottage.
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