Who is the best Premier League defender ever?
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We’ve got a shortlist of four – who comes out on top?
After runningthe rule over the goalkeepers, next we turn our attention to deciding thebest defender in Premier League history.
There were plenty of contenders here, but we chose to gowith a four-man shortlist who were all consistently at the top of the domesticgame.
Virgil van Dijk may be the best defender in the league rightnow, but he needs to do it for a little longer to feature here.
A lack of longevity also counts against Jaap Stam, while SolCampbell and Tony Adams were unfortunate to miss out from an Arsenalperspective. Jamie Carragher and Ledley King’s lack of title success countedagainst them.
Now it’s time to move on to those who did make the cut, asyou help us decide who reigns supreme…
John Terry
Chelsea
5 Premier League titles
A banner at Stamford Bridge used to say ‘Captain, Leader,Legend” and it couldn’t be more appropriate for John Terry. Few players are asclosely associated with a single club as he is with Chelsea.
He was the homegrown lynchpin of the side as RomanAbramovich’s wealth took the Blues to a different dimension. As the club’sambitions grew, Terry’s performances rose to meet them.
The former England captain had some controversial moments,but on the pitch he was a fearless battler, inspiring presence and better withthe ball than often given credit for.
With Terry marshaling the backline, Chelsea conceded a barely-believable 15 goals on their way to ending their 50-year wait for the title in 2005. He’d chip in with vital goals as well, scoring 67 for the club in total.
His fellow professionals also thought he was one of the bestin the business. Terry is one of only two defenders to be named PFA Player ofthe Year in the Premier League era. He was voted into the FIFPro World XI forfive years running from 2005 to 2009 too – Sergio Ramos is the only defenderwith more appearances.
Rio Ferdinand
West Ham United, Leeds United, Manchester United, QueensPark Rangers
6 Premier League titles
Rio Ferdinand didn’t play like a typical ‘90s Englishdefender when he emerged at West Ham.
His composure and ability on the ball instantly made himstand out – his strengths would still be very well-suited to the modern game –but he knew how to keep attackers at bay too.
He became the world’s most expensive defender after an £18mmove to Leeds in 2000. He helped the Yorkshire club to reach the ChampionsLeague semi-finals and was named club captain in his second year at EllandRoad.
However, Leeds’ financial issues meant they had little choice but to sell their prized asset to Manchester United in 2002.
The £30m fee was again the most ever paid for a defender at the time. With a return of six Premier League titles and the Champions League, it proved to be a bargain.
His partnership with Nemanja Vidic may well have been the best on the continent for a few years during the noughties. They complemented each other perfectly, with Vidic’s aggression the yin to Ferdinand’s yang.
Vincent Kompany
Manchester City
4 Premier League titles
There aren’t many better value signings during the PremierLeague era than City’s £6m deal to sign Vincent Kompany from Anderlecht back in2008.
The Belgian went on to become an icon at the Etihad, leadingthe club to four titles under three different managers.
He was a powerhouse at his best, dominating strikers withhis aerial presence and proactive play. He always wanted to be on the frontfoot and get to the ball before his opponent had a chance to gain control.
He adapted his game to Pep Guardiola’s passing style verywell, scoring one of the iconic goals against Leicester to put one hand on thetitle in 2018/19.
Injuries meant he didn’t play as much towards the end of histime in England, but he truly ‘got’ the club in every sense and his influence isstill sorely missed. Look at how City’s title defence has gone this seasonwithout him.
Ashley Cole
Arsenal, Chelsea
3 Premier League titles
It’s not only centre-backs who can make a case for being thebest defender of the Premier League era. For the better part of a decade, AshleyCole was arguably the best left-back in the world.
He was a crucial part of two title-winning sides too –Arsenal’s Invincibles and Chelsea under Carlo Ancelotti. The Stepney-bornfull-back also has seven FA Cup winner medals, more than any other player.
Cole was always a real threat going forward, but he maturedinto an exceptional one-on-one defender. He also had a welcome knack of beingin the right place at the right time to make crucial goal-line clearances.
As well as shining at club level, he was also England’s mostreliable performer during the Golden Generation era. Who can forget hisincredible display against Cristiano Ronaldo at Euro 2004?
So, there it is. We’ve made the case for all four, but whatdo you think? Who stands alone as the best defender in Premier League history?
All odds and markets correct as of date of publication
