Ainsley Maitland-Niles became a crucial member of Unai Emery’s since January 2019 when full-back Hector Bellerin suffered a knee ligament injury.
The 21-year-old English player, who is originally a midfielder/right winger, was transformed by the Spanish coach into a full back in order to replace Bellerin. It was a huge responsibility on the young shoulders of Maitland-Niles who had to replace an established star in a position which is alien to him.
It was his natural versatility which helped the player to adjust to the position. In Matiland-Niles, Emery has a found a good alternative. In fact, the player has also been deployed as a left-back too and has delivered decent performances.