If Queen Elizabeth I played soccer: central midfielder, rated 84

Queen Elizabeth I as a soccer player: scouting report

Queen Elizabeth I would play central midfield, because for more than four decades she was the person who decided how fast everything around her moved. She took the throne in 1558 and reigned until 1603, a stretch long enough that the whole period carries her name. On the pitch that becomes a deep lying playmaker who sets the tempo, and her passing is the strongest part of her card. Short when the team needs control, long and diagonal when it needs to break.

She was famously well educated, reading and speaking several languages including Latin, French and Italian, and that shows up as range. She can talk to every part of the team and play any kind of ball they need. Her defending is right behind her passing, so she screens the back four well, steps into passing lanes and rarely gets caught out of position. She also kept the same trusted adviser, William Cecil, at her side for most of her reign, which suggests a player who builds lasting partnerships with the teammates around her. Her shooting is better than you might expect from a holding role, enough to punish a defense that drops off her at the edge of the area.

Pace is the weak spot. She should not be chasing quick forwards in open space, so pair her with an energetic box to box midfielder who does the running. Goalkeeper is her next best spot, and the wing is a distant option. For a drafter, she is a middle round anchor who makes everyone around her better. Put her at the base of the midfield three and give the ball to her every time.

Plays like A tempo setting regista who dictates play from deep

Put Queen Elizabeth I in your lineup

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