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 left-backs of all time.
Enjoy!
10. Emlyn Hughes (ENG)
The former England and Liverpool captain, nicknamed "Crazy Horse" for a now infamous rugby tackle on Newcastle's Albert Bennett, was one of the key members of Shankly's, and later Paisley's, great Liverpool team of the '70s.
Predictably, then, his trophy haul is rather impressive. He won four Division One titles, an FA Cup, two UEFA Cups and two European Cups in his twelve years at Anfield. He later added a League Cup to that list with Wolves.
He was named the FWA Footballer of the Year in 1977, and played for England 62 times, leading them out on 23 occasions.
9. Denis Irwin (IRE)
A lynch-pin of the great Manchester United team of the '90s, Denis Irwin experienced a long and successful career. He was a deadly set-piece taker who often challenged even David Beckham when it came to free-kick duties.
In his 12 years stint at United, he won a lot of silverware, including seven Premier League titles, three FA Cups, a League Cup, a Cup Winners' Cup, and a Champions League. He was a key part of the 1999 treble winning side.
For the Republic of Ireland, Irwin made 56 appearances before he retired after he was told to "go out and prove himself."
8. Bixente Lizarazu (FRA)
Despite his lack of height, Lizarazu made a name for himself as one of the best attacking full-backs of recent times. His time at Bayern Munich and in the "Golden era" of French football helped him become the most decorated player in French football history.
At club level he has won two French league titles, six German league titles, five German Cups, four German League Cups and a Champions League, while at international level he helped France to success in the 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000.
In all, he made 97 appearances for France. Another trophy he won was the Intercontinental trophy in 2001, which made him the first player to be a European champion and World champion on both international and club level at the same time.
7. Jose Antonio Camacho (SPA)
Camacho made his debut for Real Madrid aged just 18, and then made his final appearance for the same club 16 years later. In all he played over 400 league matches for them, cementing his place as one of the best defenders in their history.
In his time there, he won nine La Liga titles, and four Spanish Cups, as well as appearing in two World Cups and two European Championships for Spain. Overall, he made 81 appearances for the national team.
6. Andreas Brehme (GER)
Brehme could hit a free-kick or spray a long pass as well as anyone in world football and, whats more, he could do it with both feet. He was a great attacking full-back who scored for every team he ever played for.
In his 17-year career, Brehme won two Bundesliga titles, a German Cup, a UEFA Cup, and a Serie A title at club level, while at international level he won the 1990 World Cup and was part of the team that came runners-up four years earlier, and then again two years later in the European Championships.
He scored the winning goal in that 1990 World Cup final, just one of his eight international goals in 86 matches for Germany.
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