Cameron Burgess

Burgess spent the early part of his career on loan at a string of lower league clubs. That kind of apprenticeship teaches a defender how to survive physically before anyone worries about how comfortable he looks in possession. That grounding shows in how he defends now, throwing his body into aerial duels and set pieces without hesitation at either end of the pitch. Born in Scotland and raised in Australia, he chose to represent Australia at senior level.

The question with a centre back built this way is composure on the ball, because sides in this division press high and demand quick, clean passing out from the back. That style of defending was forged in leagues where a long ball forward was often the simplest answer, an option not always available against the better sides here. Watch how comfortable he looks receiving the ball under pressure from his own goalkeeper.