The 22nd 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 central defenders of all time! This was perhaps the hardest so far!
Enjoy!
10. Ronald Koeman (NED)
It isn't often a defender is known as much for his goalscoring exploits as his attempts to stop such exploits at the other end of the field, but Ronald Koeman was an exception. His long, sweeping passes and powerful shots provided the base from which the likes of Marco van Basten thrived.
With 193 league goals in 503 matches, Koeman is the highest scoring defender in history. It is no coincidence, then, that he has such an impressive trophy haul. In his career he has picked up three Dutch league titles, three Dutch Cup titles, one Spanish Cup, and two European Cups.
At international level he was a key part of the great Holland team that won the European Championships of 1988. He finished his international career with 14 goals in 78 caps.
9. John Charles (WAL)
Rarely does a player come along that can perform well in two completely different positions. John Charles may be the only player who could make a top ten of all-time list in both those two positions.
Charles was just as effective a centre-forward as he was a centre-back, as his goalscoring record shows. He is still considered a legend in both Leeds and Turin, where he played his best football. He is a three-time Serie A winner, a two-time Italian Cup winner, and a two-time Welsh Cup winner.
In 1958 he was named as the Italian Player of the Year and many years later was voted as the greatest player in Serie A history. He played 38 times for his beloved Wales, scoring 15 goals, and is widely regarded as the country's greatest ever player.
To further add to his legend, despite playing in an era when both centre-forwards and central defenders had to be strong and rugged, Charles was never cautioned or sent-off.
8. Fabio Cannavaro (ITA)
What he lacks in height, Fabio Cannavaro makes up for in sheer quality. At 35 he is still going strong for Real Madrid, demonstrating just why he was the first, and so far only, defender to win the FIFA World Player of the Year award.
During his career, Cannavaro has won two Serie A titles, which were later stripped of him due to the match-fixing scandal, two Italian Cups, a UEFA Cup, and two La Liga titles.
In 2006 he captained Italy to success in the World Cup, and was subsequently named World and European player of the Year. He is still an active member of the Italian national team, with 122 caps to his name thus far.
7. Gaetano Scirea (ITA)
Just creeping in ahead of his fellow countryman is Gaetano Scirea, a player who kept Franco Baresi out of the Italian side for four years despite his advancing age. He is also one of a just five players to have won every continental club trophy recognised by UEFA and FIFA.
That means he has won the European Cup, UEFA Cup, Cup Winners' Cup, European Super Cup and the Intercontinental Cup. To add to this already impressive list he has won seven Serie A titles and two Italian Cups.
For Italy, he won 78 caps, which included helping them to success in the 1982 World Cup.
6. Billy Wright (ENG)
Perhaps the greatest captain England have ever had, Billy Wright was the first player in world football to win 100 caps for his country. He went on to win 105, 90 of which were as captain.
He spent his entire playing career at Wolverhampton Wanderers, playing 541 times for the club and cementing his status as the club's greatest ever player. Despite playing in defence where just one mistimed tackle can earn you your marching orders, Wright was never cautioned or sent-off in his 20-year career.
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