Intelligence, positional play and game awareness are all outstanding skills to poses in a football game. But without the necessary skill with the ball at your feet, you're never going to make that killer pass or finish off that flowing move as often as you'd like.
Improve your technique when striking through the ball and you'll simultaneously boost your passing, crossing and shooting.
Here's five drills, designed by current Chelsea Technical Skills coach and Head Coach at My Personal Football Coach Saul Isaksson Hurst, to help you develop better ball-striking abilities.
It's a staple of the game and the result of 95% of what you do on the ball, but passing is something many players get wrong all too often. Adding a firm, driven pass into your repertoire is a great way to developing a passing range like Gerrard or Pirlo – plus it's practice can be pretty simple.
Those ex-international stars named above have honed their skills through endless practice, so keep working on both feet even when you think you've nailed it.
Speaking of hours of practice, one man who mastered the free-kick better than most was David Beckham. Thanks to the unprecedented level of curve he exacted on the ball, he caused chaos in opposition defences for years.
Again, practice is what elevates your game – so be prepared to put the hard yards in on both feet.
Back to Pirlo and his like-minded band of outstanding pass-merchants, the long, glided pass is something every midfield maestro should be adding to their game.
Loft the ball to one another, and make it progressively harder by taking a step-back every time you successfully nail a lofted pass.
Volleys are a true yardstick of a player's technical ability. Mastering them will not only grab you some more goals, but impress your team mates and onlookers at the side of the pitch.
Grab a teammate and get him to feed you with a series of throws that you can then convert into volleys into a goal. Do ten each, then you could ramp up the difficulty by converting crosses rather than simple throws (which is also a great way for you and your partner to practice two skills in the same drill).
All these passing-based skills are great, but you'll be leaving empty handed if you don't have the correct technique to finish it off when shooting.
It's essential you hit the ball first time and do so as you sprint towards the ball. Defenders won't be so obliging in games, so don't create unrealistic environments in training.
You'll find ample more video techniques to help improve your skills in the Pitchero Football Academy.
If you want even more, head over to My Personal Football Coach and try out the Coach's Pass. Headed up by ex-Tottenham and current Chelsea skills coach Saul Isaksson-Hurst, MYFC have an outstanding collection of video tutorials to develop your skills.
Plus, if you click the banner below, you get a sweet exclusive discount to epic football drills courtesy of our partnership with MPFC.