There cannot have been too
many better turnarounds for a player at a club than Kirk Broadfoot’s at
Rotherham.
The Scot was ridiculed in his
first few months at New York Stadium last season as he floundered at right-back
and then initially struggled in a central role.
However, he made an
impressive recovery at the back end of the campaign, playing an important role
in the Millers’ fight against the drop.
But it has been this season where he has really made his mark in South Yorkshire.
After sitting out the first 10 games due to a Football Association ban for an incident involving then-Wigan
midfielder James McClean last March, he has forged himself into a key player and
a player-of-the-season contender.
He has taken the captain’s
armband in recent weeks and has shown himself to be a true leader, showing
spirit, determination, strength and no little skill.
Here’s a look at the key areas
which have made Broadfoot so impressive this season.
Aerial strength
There’s often no better sight
in football than a grizzly centre-half leaping to out-jump a striker and head
the ball clear, and with Broadfoot the Millers have been seeing plenty of that.
The former Rangers man has come out on top in 71 of his 110 aerial battles,
operating at a success rate of 65 per cent and averaging 5.5 per game. In
comparison to some of the division’s other top performers, it’s better than
Curtis Davies (64%) and only slightly below Shane Duffy’s 69%. When the
opposition go long, more often than not Broadfoot will repel it.
Right place, right time
One of the key components of
defending is an ability to read the play and position yourself accordingly and
that is something Broadfoot has done superbly. It has allowed him to recover
from situations when he has been caught out by a lack of pace while also seeing
him snuff out many moments of danger. His reading of the play has been
showcased by the 38 interceptions he has made at an average of one of every 28
minutes on the pitch. To put that into perspective, Mr Interception Richie
Smallwood operates at one every 32 minutes. His positional sense has allowed
him to make 60 clearances while he is not afraid to put his body on the line,
making nine key blocks.
Playing out from the back
Broadfoot is far from a
player who just heads and kicks the ball. He is also capable of playing
football and his ability to bring the ball out of defence has seen him start
many an attack of the Millers over the last few weeks. Rio Ferdinand and Franck
Leboeuf have got nothing on him in terms of marauding runs into the opposition
half as Broadfoot has embarked on a nine dribbles, eight of which have resulted
in him keeping the ball. He has completed 216 successful short passes and 39
successful long passes, proving he is comfortable on the ball, while he has
produced five key passes, showcasing his creativity.
Wily old fox
You don’t get to 31 and play in
the Champions League and a Europa League final without learning a few tricks
along the way. That has helped Broadfoot use situations to his advantage and
get himself and Rotherham out of bother. He has been fouled 14 times, at an
average of just over one a game, which is only bettered by Jonson Clarke-Harris
and Grant Ward of players who have played more than a 1,000 minutes. And, of
course, two of those fouls have been in the opposition penalty box, winning two
spot-kicks which were both converted.
