Gareth Ainsworth
Gareth Ainsworth almost goes without saying, because there was so much about him that would suit the way we play now. He wasn’t especially tall, but neither is Ben House, and while they aren’t the same sort of player, there are similarities in the commitment, the chasing and the willingness to make life difficult for defenders. Gareth would run and harass all afternoon, and you can imagine how effective he’d be in a team where that work is organised into the high press we talk about today. Coming in from a wide position, attacking space and refusing to let opponents settle, I think he’d be an absolute nuisance in the best possible way.
He also understood direct football, having played under John Beck and later moved to Wimbledon for £2 million after his spell at Port Vale. The style would hold no fears for him, and when I think back to his Lincoln goals, I picture him arriving at the back post, reacting to a loose ball or getting something on the end of a Terry Fleming long throw. That ability to thrive when the ball is bouncing around the box would be perfect for us, especially alongside his energy down the sides. Of everyone on this list, Ainsworth is arguably the clearest fit for the intensity and attacking chaos we try to create, because so much of it was already there in his game.
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