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The decline of the traditional centre-forward in modern football can be traced back to the influence of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, according to former Chelsea striker Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink.
Hasselbaink believes the dominance of the two football greats over the past 15 years has influenced a generation of young players to emulate their playing styles, rather than aspire to become traditional No.9s.
While modern football still has prolific strikers such as Norway’s hotshot Erling Haaland and newly crowned Ballon d’Or winner Harry Kane, he feels there are fewer towering, physical centre-forwards emerging compared to previous generations.
