If Elton John played soccer: striker, rated 82

Elton John as a soccer player: scouting report

Elton John has one of the best football stories of any musician. He became chairman of Watford, the club he had supported as a boy, and during his time in charge the team climbed from the Fourth Division to the First Division and reached the 1984 FA Cup final. Watford later named a stand at Vicarage Road after him. In this game he plays as a center forward, and he plays it the way his old club did in those years: direct, physical and relentless.

His physical strength is the best part of his card. He holds the ball up, wins headers and takes the knocks from center backs without complaint. His defending is right behind that, so he presses hard from the front and forces mistakes from defenders who want to play out. His shooting is solid rather than flashy, the kind that finishes crosses and rebounds. He won a junior scholarship to the Royal Academy of Music as a boy, and his long songwriting partnership with Bernie Taupin shows how well he plays with a trusted teammate, which is exactly what a striker needs with his strike partner or attacking midfielder.

Pace is the weak spot. He is not going to run in behind a high line, so pair him with quick wingers who attack the space he creates. His defending and strength make center back his next best spot, and central midfield is a decent fallback. He has had a remarkably long career, with hit records across six decades, and that durability is what you want from a focal point up front. For a drafter, he is a battering ram for a direct team. Take him if you plan to cross the ball early and often.

Plays like A strong, battling center forward who never stops working

Put Elton John in your lineup

11 rolls, a starting eleven, 38 matches. Can you go 38-0? Free, no account.