In sports, the term winger is the name of a position, including football, rugby union, rugby league and field hockey. It refers to positions on the extreme left and right sides of the pitch (the wings). See winger (ice hockey). Football (soccer) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... Rugby union (often referred to as just rugby, or union) is a variant of rugby football. ... Rugby league is a team sport, played by two teams of 13 players. ... A game of field hockey in progress Field hockey is a popular sport for men and women in many countries around the world. ... Winger in hockey is a forward position of a player whose primary zone of play on the ice is along the outer playing area. ...

Football (soccer)

In football, a winger is an attacking player in a wide position.

Wingers are usually players of great pace or dribbling ability so as to provide cut-backs or crosses from which strikers can score. Their main function is to support attack from the wings. They are a special breed of midfielders who work up and down the flanks, and traditionally, are not expected to track back and defend. However, most modern wingers do defend and track back to repossess the ball, although their primary function lies in attack. In sports such as association football (soccer) and basketball, dribbling refers to the manouevring of a ball around a defender through short skilful taps or kicks with either the legs (football/soccer) or hands (basketball). ... In association football (soccer), a midfielder is a player whose position of play is midway between the attacking strikers and the defenders. ...

Wingers used to be highly prized in the older times, but their importance has dwindled through the years. In the 1966 World Cup for example, England manager Alf Ramsey played without natural wingers in a team known as the "Wingless Wonders". The Football World Cup (official name: FIFA World Cup) is the most important competition in international football (soccer). ... Sir Alfred Ernest Ramsey (born January 22, 1920 in Dagenham, Essex; died April 28, 1999) was a footballer and manager of the English national football team from 1963 to 1974. ...

In the modern game, some wide midfielders replace the role of wingers, whose contributions include providing defensive cover for fullbacks. One good example is David Beckham, who played in the position of right wing during his days at Manchester United, but is not commonly regarded as a winger since he functions primarily as a right midfielder and does not use either speed or dribbling ability to support play. Most football games include a position called fullback or full back. ... David Beckham David Robert Joseph Beckham OBE (born May 2, 1975) is an English footballer born in Leytonstone, London. ... Manchester United Football Club is an English football club, based at Old Trafford Football Ground located just outside the city boundaries of Manchester. ...

Famous wingers in history

• John Barnes
• Jim Baxter
• George Best
• Tom Finney
• Garrincha
• Jimmy Johnstone
• Stanley Matthews
• Marc Overmars
• Chris Waddle

John Barnes (born November 7, 1963) is a Jamaican-born English football player. ... James Curran Baxter, (September 29, 1939 – April 14, 2001), was a Scottish football (soccer) player. ... George Best (22 May 1946 – 25 November 2005) is widely acknowledged to have been one of the greatest football players of all time, remembered for his halcyon days with Manchester United F.C. He played for the Northern Ireland team, but their failure to reach the final rounds of the... Sir Thomas Finney, OBE (born April 5, 1922, Preston) is a former English association footballer famous for his loyalty to his league club, Preston North End F.C., and for his performances in the English national side. ... Manuel Francisco dos Santos (October 28, 1933 - January 20, 1983), known as Garrincha, was a Brazilian footballer who played in the World Cup winning teams of 1958 and 1962. ... James Connolly Jimmy Johnstone (30 September 1944 – 13 March 2006), was a Scottish football legend. ... Sir Stanley Matthews, CBE (February 1, 1915 - February 23, 2000) was a football player, often regarded as one of the greats of the English game. ... Marc Overmars (born March 29, 1973 in Emst) is a former Dutch football player. ... Christopher Roland Waddle (born December 14, 1960) was a famous English footballer of the 1980s and 1990s. ...

Current wingers

• David Beckham
• Denilson
• Damien Duff
• Luis Figo
• Ryan Giggs
• Ludovic Giuly
• Joaquín
• Harry Kewell
• Fredrik Ljungberg
• Robert Pirès
• Arjen Robben
• Dennis Rommedahl
• Cristiano Ronaldo

David Beckham David Robert Joseph Beckham OBE (born May 2, 1975) is an English footballer born in Leytonstone, London. ... Denílson, full name Denílson De Oliveira Araujo, (born August 24, 1977 in Diadema, Brazil) is a football winger, who in 1998 became the most expensive footballer in the world. ... Damien Duff in his first season with Chelsea Damien Anthony Duff (born March 2, 1979 in Ballyboden, Dublin) is an Irish footballer. ... Luís Filipe Madeira Caeiro Figo (pron. ... Ryan Giggs (born Ryan Joseph Wilson on 29 November 1973 in Cardiff) is a Welsh football player, renowned worldwide as being arguably one of the greatest wingers of all time in the game. ... Ludovic Giuly Ludovic Giuly (born July 10, 1976 in Lyon) is a French football (soccer) striker/midfielder. ... Joaquín, full name Joaquín Sánchez Rodríguez, (born July 21, 1981 in Cádiz) is a Spanish football (soccer) right winger, famed for his bursts of speed, potent dribbling ability and dangerous crossing. ... Harry Kewell (born September 22, 1978 in Smithfield, Sydney), is an Australian football (soccer) player regarded by many as Australias all-time best. ... Freddie Ljungberg models Calvin Klein briefs. ... Robert Emmanuel Pirès (born October 29, 1973 in Reims, France) is a French international football player, of Portuguese and Spanish descent. ... Date of Birth: January 23, 1984 Place of Birth: Bedum, The Netherlands Height: 511 (1. ... Dennis Rommedahl (born July 22, 1978) is a Danish football forward who is currently playing for Charlton Athletic F.C. in the English Premier League. ... Cristiano Ronaldo (pron. ...

Rugby union and Rugby league

Wingers or wings play on either the extreme left or the extreme right. They are usually the fastest players on the field and score the most tries.

For more information see Rugby union positions and Rugby League positions. A rugby union team is made up of 15 players: eight forwards, numbered from 1 to 8; and seven backs, numbered from 9 to 15. ... A rugby league team consists of thirteen players plus four substitutes. ...

See also

• Football (soccer) positions
• Football (Australian rules) positions
• Wingback
• Rugby union positions
• Rugby League positions.