Ayden Heaven

Heaven's background as a midfielder shows clearly in how he defends, because he treats the ball as something to use rather than simply get rid of under pressure. He often lets an opponent close him down before releasing a pass into the space that opponent has just left, deliberately inviting pressure to create an opening elsewhere. In the air his physical presence stands out, giving him an advantage in duels his experience would not otherwise suggest.

The tension is that a defender playing this way will occasionally get caught out, because inviting pressure only works until an opponent wins the ball back cleanly. He has already shown he can put a mistake behind him quickly rather than letting it affect his performance. Watch how often those risks pay off across a run of matches, because that ratio will decide how far his game can go.