The modern full-back has become a shapeshifter.
The job once began and ended on the touchline, dealing with the opposition’s winger and swinging in a couple of crosses.
Then came the attacking full-backs, who were forgiven defensive lapses if they broke the line with acceleration and a cutback.
The role flipped again when inverted full-backs stepped into midfield and were asked to pass under pressure and manage central spaces.
Now the evolution feels circular and additive rather than binary.
The best full-backs widen the pitch when the team needs to stretch, compress it when the midfield requires an extra body, and appear between lines.
They must be sprinters and press resistors, aerially competent and positionally calm, which has been seen with the likes of Achraf Hakimi, Nuno Mendes, and Marc Cucurella.
Givairo Read at 19 looks built for this era and for any demand of the game.
This Givairo Read scout report details Read’s strengths and how he could be used by one of his biggest admirers at Manchester City.
Who Is Givairo Read?
Givairo Reads route to this point matters because it explains the breadth of his game.
He is not a graduate of the Feyenoord academy.
He developed at AVV Zeeburgia, moved to FC Volendam’s academy, and only joined Feyenoord in the summer of 2023, at the advice of Robin van Persie.
Arne Slot handed him his debut before moving to Liverpool.
For the Netherlands at the UEFA U19 European Championship, he looked mature without feeling rigid, switching between overlapping outlet and narrow pivot depending on the phase.
That has carried into club football, where Van Persie has trusted him to handle senior tempo and tactical adjustment during games.
Givairo Read Style Of Play
Givairo Read Technical & Physical Strengths
Givairo Read is light across the ground and can change pace mid-touch without losing balance.
He manipulates the ball with a tightness synonymous with Dutch footballing heritage.
There is upper body strength too, the kind that lets him ride a shoulder and stay upright through contact.
The pizza chart illustrates Givairo Read’s performance relative to positional peers in the Eredivisie this season, and he looks every bit of a modern full-back.
It emphasises his on-ball qualities such as comfort in possession, progressive involvement, and overall attacking threat.
Givairo Read Pizza Chart 2025/2026
It is reminiscent of Jurrien Timber in the way he shrugs off pressure without needing a big touch to escape.
That combination supports a dribble style that invites pressure and then uses a late shift to create the lane.
