The 21st installment of Barney Corkhill's Greatest Ever series is here!
In this series I will look at the greatest talents to grace various sports. I continue to look at football, this time counting down the top ten right-backs of all time! It wasn't easy!
Enjoy!
10. Gianluca Zambrotta (ITA)
His marauding runs up the right, and occasionally left flank have thrilled Italians for a decade, and he may not be done yet. Zambrotta has played for three of the world's biggest clubs in Juventus, Barcelona, and AC Milan, so it's no surprise he has an impressive trophy haul.
He has won two Serie A titles with Juventus, not including the two stripped of him following the match-fixing scandal. However, his greatest achievement has come at international level, where he helped his country to win the 2006 World Cup. He currently has 81 caps for Italy.
9. Gary Neville (ENG)
He has been Mr. Reliable for so long and has been a key part in Manchester United's dominance for most of the past two decades. A one-club man, Sir Alex Ferguson has placed his trust in Neville, making him United's club captain.
He has seven Premier League titles to his name, along with three FA Cups, a League Cup, and a Champions League. Neville was a key part of United's unprecedented treble in 1999 and has, to date, played 565 matches for them.
At international level he is England's most capped right-back with 85 appearances.
8. Phil Neal (ENG)
Phil Neal was to Liverpool what Gary Neville has been to United, just with a few more goals thrown in. During Liverpool's dominance of the '70s and '80s, Phil Neal was a vital cog in the machine.
He was a part of eight championship winning teams, a UEFA Cup winning team, four League Cup winning teams and, amazingly, four European Cup winning teams. He could have made it a remarkable five European Cups but for the loss in the 1985 final which will always be tainted by the Heysel disaster.
His almost faultless penalty taking allowed him to get on the score-sheet more than most defenders, and he scored over 70 league goals in his career. He also got on the score-sheet five times for England in his 50 appearances for the national team.
7. Wim Suurbier (NED)
It may have been Johan Cruyff who was making all the headlines, but Wim Suurbier was a vital part of Holland's "Total Football." His great stamina and pace allowed him to charge down the right flank from the first whistle to the last for both club and country.
He was a part of the great Ajax side of the 70s, helping them to seven league titles, four Dutch Cups, and three consecutive European Cups.
He was to taste heartbreak on an international level, though, as his 60 caps included losing twice in World Cup finals, in 1974 and 1978.
6. Jose Nasazzi (URU)
Jose Nasazzi holds a unique place in history in that he was the first captain to ever lift the World Cup, doing so with Uruguay in 1930. Even before that, Nasazzi had led his country to two Olympic gold medals and three Copa America titles throughout the 1920s.
He never got a chance to defend the World Cup title with Uruguay, however, as they refused to particpate in the 1934 World Cup, which was eventually won by Italy.
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