It was once a position so seemingly disparaged that Eric Cantona infamously regarded the contribution of Didier Deschamps to France's hugely-successful national team in the last 1990s as that of a "water carrier".
But defensive midfield has subsequently become one of the most important jobs in modern football
it's why, following the surprise departures of Fabinho and Jordan Henderson to Saudi Arabia and teenager Stefan Bajcetic not yet being back to full fitness, Liverpool now find themselves scrambling to recruit at least one defensive midfielder this summer.
Lucas
"It's a key role, it's the link between defence and attack
"It's a position where you help the defence, so you don't leave a hole to leave the centre-backs exposed. The player needs to be able to read the game to allow the offensive players to attack without having the team too open. It's very hard to find players in that position, especially given the way Jurgen Klopp wants to play."
Lucas added
"Trent can do that,"
"Of course, you have to adapt. As a full-back you get the ball on the touchline and by definition you have less angles in which to play a pass but sometimes you can take more risks.
" In midfield you have to find the balance of knowing when you can try a more difficult pass or play it simple and keep the team playing.
"But I think Trent has the ability to do that. I see it as a positive as it gives Jurgen options. There are games for sure where he will play at full-back but there will be games where Jurgen will want a player in defensive midfield who can pick a pass, and there aren't many in the world better than Trent at doing that."
Lucas adds
"It's very demanding," he admits. "You know how he likes to set up his team, full of energy especially with the high pressing and counter-pressing. That's why pre-season is always so important, having double and triple sessions will allow the players to perform in that midfield. That's why it's important to have players who can play with the highest intensity and keep away from injuries."
"I learned a lot from him. When he arrived, you could soon something special was starting because of the way he is, the way he organises the club, the team. He is a very honest person which these days is very hard to find, especially the relationship between player and manager. I remember a couple of times I spoke with him and maybe I wasn't too happy, but he was always very honest.
"It's better having someone who tells you the truth because then the respect will always be there. When I left, I knew something was growing, and the relationship with Jurgen kept going and is still very strong. There's a phrase he said that has stuck with me, which is 'I can tell you what I think, not what you want to hear'. It's great he has been successful and hopefully there's a lot more to come."
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