Cesc Fabregas (234 assists) Another product of La Masia academy, Fabregas is a name that needs no introduction. He was equally impressive shutting down the run, amassing 1,112 tackles during his Hall of Fame career. In virtually every sport, you either need a stellar offense or a stellar defense, and having both is even better. Perhaps the greatest cover corner to ever play the game, Deion "Prime Time" Sanders edges out Dick "Night Train" Lane for this spot.  Legend⛔ Rock at the back©️ 'Katsche'Happy 7️⃣1️⃣st Birthday, Hans-Georg #Schwarzenbeck! John Terry is the best Chelsea defender ever. Oh, and he also won the World Cup with his country - scoring the winner in the semi finals of the tournament. Found insideHe had been chosen as the man to replace Zlatan Ibrahimovic, one of the best strikers of all time. As United's big new Number 9, Romelu needed to get off to ... Over on Ranker, football fans have cast their votes to list the greatest defender of all-time, with over 135,000 votes cast. 13,357. You knew someone from the famed "Steel Curtain" defenses of the 1970s would make this list. From 1991 to 1997, he won the championship twice with titles in 1983 and 1995. 2-time NFC Defensive Player of the Year (1970, 1971), 2-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year (AP 1971, NEA 1973). . George Best, Garrincha, Pele in his prime and much much more. The Hall of Famer is tied for 10th with John Randle on the all-time sacks list with 137.5. I believe one of only two players to have won the Champions league twice in row with different clubs. Used to be the most expensive player of all time when transferred to Real Madrid until Neymar broke it in 2017, Cristiano Ronaldo is the best European football star in the long run from the late . He can play in defence or midfield, but I think he is better as a centre-back. He is one of just three defensive linemen to ever win a Super Bowl MVP. Actor who would play him in a movie: Bill Farmer (the voice of Pluto). The top 50 greatest footballers of all time - ranked. Football fans have ranked top 50 defenders of all time and it's Italian legend Paolo Maldini who comes out on top. You either love him or absolutely hate 'the bastard for what he did to our poor wee Mohamed Salah in the UEFA Champions League final that we would've won if Ramos wasn't such a bastard', but you can't deny that the guy is a bloody good centre back. The NBA Best Defenders of All Time …more 0:00 - Intro 0:00:08 - Kevin Love 0:00:19 - Dan Roundfield 0:00:35 - Norm Van Lier 0:00:45 - Don Chaney Found inside – Page 177The 1946–1955 Cleveland Browns—Pro Football's Greatest Dynasty Andy Piascik ... best ever, just one more successful kick away from a new all-time record. 2. **NEWLY UPDATED VIDEO!! He also was extremely durable, missing just one game in 14 seasons. His best football came with Ajax and Juventus, although he also spent time with A.C. Milan, Barcelona, Inter Milan, Tottenham and Crystal Palace, before becoming player-manager at Barnet. Found inside – Page 16Very good to excellent pocket presence, with good escapability, ... The rest of the time, the defender either pushed him back or easily slid off of him or ... The legendary Jones is credited with coining the term "sacking the quarterback." But the former Juventus and AC Milan star has tumbled down to 10th in the latest update to the rankings. 10-time All-Pro, 8-time Pro Bowler. Class : Queen Gold. I was terrified of Jaap Stam when he was in his pomp, and I'm pretty sure most forwards were too. 10-1. In 2004, he won the SEC Defensive Player and the Player of the Year award, Bednarik, Lott, Lombardi and Hendricks Awards. Honourable Mentions: George Best, Jose Ma. Aldair was one of, if not the best centre back in Serie A at the turn of the century. Los Angeles Rams 1961-71; San Diego 1972-73; Washington 1974, 2-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year (1967, ‘68). After that, "LT" produced seven straight campaigns of double-digit sacks -- despite playing hurt, getting suspended and having coaches like Joe Gibbs alter their entire game plan to get him blocked. On his day, he could man-mark literally any forward out of any game and still have time to come out of defence with the ball and probably set up a goal with a defence splitting pass. That game: Italy vs. Germany, 4 July 2006. The Dutchman holds the title of the most prolific defender of all time, although he did play in midfield too. (Or else Terrell Davis would've been a first-ballot Hall of Famer at running back.) 50 Greatest Defenders in World Football History. 0 of 50. Football is finally back in action! He is widely considered as one of the best defenders of all time who also played as a midfielder most of the time. Fernando Hierro is a bit of an anomaly on this list - and not just because he played for Bolton Wanderers. Found inside – Page 63... has lined up. clutch An ability to perform at one's best in high-pressure situations. coverage The placement of defenders against potential receivers; ... That's back when the NFL's all-star game actually meant something. He is just as well-liked off of the football field as he was on it, parlaying his Hall of Fame credentials into a successful career as a TV personality. There is no doubt about it, Terry has . Raphael Varane is a quick learner who has managed to upgrade his skills for Real Madrid under Zinedine Zidane cleverly. Born in Guadeloupe, the 45-year-old is the most capped Frenchman of all-time . Only two other defenders on this list got anywhere near that figure (more on them soon). His best season for Joe Paterno was a dominant one as he earned All-American honors in 1978 with 54 tackles and nine sacks. Those numbers become even more impressive when you consider that Smith spent most of his career playing in a 3-4 scheme, which is not traditionally geared to yield high sack numbers for the defensive end position. Another pretty small centre back who more than made up for this too with his hops and the fact that he was the best header of the ball of all time (according to Diego Maradona), Daniel Passarella captained Argentina to their first ever World Cup triumph. Page would go on to serve as an Associate Justice in Minnesota’s Supreme Court from 1993-2015. You know him better as the guy who said 'you can't win anything with kids' and a pile of other nonsensical things on Match of the Day over years, but wayyyyyy back in the 80s, Alan Hansen was one of the best central defenders in the world. He went to the Pro Bowl his first four seasons as a cornerback. Aaron Ramsey . 20-11. 1. 2 Times FIFA World Cup All-Star Team (1998, 2006) 1998 European Defender of The Year, 2000 UEFA Euro Best XI. Actor who would play him in a movie: Antonio Banderas. He also scored *ahem* 134 CAREER GOALS IN 451 GAMES!!!!!! Take a look through some of the best photos from this week at the Hall of Fame, including the Classes of 2020 and 2021 receiving their jackets during the Gold Jacket ceremony. STILL dragged his team to famous win...after famous win...after famous win. Luis Figo. 7,780. You could flip a coin on those two, as Lane was a better tackler and ballhawk, whereas quarterbacks avoided Sanders entirely. Forwards simply couldn’t get past him because of his size, but he was smart and quick too.”. Lilly was as good as any player on the football field any time he suited up in his prime. Considered one of the best defenders of all-time, Paulo Maldini finished third for the Ballon d'Or twice, once in 1994 and a second time nine years later. The next defender on this our list of the best Premier League defenders of all time is a player with African origin of full name Kolo Abib Toure but widely known as Kolo Toure by most football fans. Found inside – Page 32THE G.O.A.Ts MATCH Flicks through the football history books to take a ... Now we move onto the best ever centre - backs - the defenders who bossed the ... Paulo Sousa: key member of that golden generation of the 90s and simply one of the best midfielders in the world at that time. The Hall of Famer played in three Super Bowls, six NFC title games and is one of just three defensive linemen in NFL history to win a Super Bowl MVP. Marchetti also served as a machine gunner during World War II and fought in the famous Battle of the Bulge. Now merely known as the manager who oversaw Spain's disastrous 1982 World Cup by the majority of people, Jose Santamaria's playing career has been sort of forgotten. His 137.5 career sacks officially rank 10th all-time and first among defensive tackles. He had 27 games in which he rushed for 100 or more yards. White (unofficially) had 1,104 career tackles and 111 career sacks. Here's Pele on the England World Cup winning legend: "I met a lot of good defenders I played against. Widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time, Zidane was an elite play-maker, renowned for his elegance, vision, ball control and technique. The winner of three First Division titles and an FA Cup with Wolves (that's more than I won with Wolves in my FM19 save), the defender is rightfully remembered as the club's greatest ever player. paul scholes. It is said that attack wins you matches but defenses win you championships. Before bad knees wrecked his career, Butkus could move sideline to sideline, get depth and, of course, knock the living crud out of an opponent. He was a master of the “swim move,” the bull rush and the forearm shiver. 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