Eintracht Frankfurt’s Makoto Hasebe has been ranked the second best defender in the Bundesliga this season, according to German football magazine Kicker.

Hasebe, having spent the bulk of his career in midfield and at the age of 35, came into his own in a new role this season. Playing as a libero in a three-man defence, he contributed to Frankfurt’s impressive runs in the Bundesliga and Europa League.

His individual performances were highly rated in Germany, and he was chosen as the best centreback in the first half of the league by Kicker. He was also shortlisted to be in this season’s best eleven on the league’s official website.

In the average rating for outfield players on Kicker, Hasebe was ranked at the top for a period of time. Frankfurt fell to consecutive defeats at the tail end of the season, and he ended the season with a final rating of 2.96 (1 highest, 6 lowest).

Overall, he is tied at #11 and #22 for outfield players and all positions respectively. In the position of a defender, he is #2, just behind RB Leizpig’s Willi Orban.

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Source: Yahoo

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