The best 20 England defenders
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In the wake of John Terry's record pay deal, David Miller rates him against the greats.
Stopper, sweeper, terrier, thinker? There are so many categories of central defender, one of the core elements of any successful team, along with goalkeeper and clean sheets as was defined by Brian Clough.
The apotheosis in the valuation of central defenders, as oppose to goal scorers - and a regrettable reflection on the contemporary game - has been reached with John Terry's wage of £130,000 per week with Chelsea: an Aladdin's lamp world grossly initiated by immigrant owner Roman Abramovich.
If Terry's ability is essentially to keep his own penalty area clear, then my chimney sweeper must comparably be worth at least per year what Terry absurdly trousers on a Saturday. And by this scale, what price Bobby Charlton, Jimmy Greaves, or Gary Lineker? Or Michael Owen?
Terry is of that stopper-brand, they-shall-not-pass, occupied by Billy Wright, Maurice Norman, Jack Charlton, Brian Labone, Norman Hunter and Dave Watson. Though not unskilled, and a formidable header of the ball in the opposition's penalty area, Terry lacks, in my opinion, the all-round ability to place him in the top 10.
A handful of stoppers narrowly miss my top 20, including Peter Swann (Sheffield Wednesday), curtailed by a bribery scandal in the early Sixties, Martin Keown (Arsenal) and Gary Pallister (Middlesbrough and Manchester United) and several all-rounders such as David Sadler (Manchester United), Colin Todd (Derby), Gary Mabbutt and Ledley King (both of Spurs), the latter yet to mature. -
1 Bobby Moore (108 Caps) West Ham.
An average teenager but, guided by Malcolm Allison and Ron Greenwood and by meticulous personal attention, Moore (above) created an art form of the game second to none.
2 Roy McFarland (28 ) Derby.
The near complete defender, who but for injury might have helped make Don Revie's England career a success instead of ignominious failure. An inspiration whether playing with or against you.
3 Sol Campbell (69) Spurs, Arsenal.
Maybe an enigma as a man, but a Bentley among footballers: athlete, role model, worth a goal at either end to any team, eg World Cup '98.
4 Neil Franklin (27) Stoke.
A chandelier among defenders, "a master, two-footed, floated about the pitch, always wanting the ball" said Stanley Matthews. His England career terminated by departure to Bogota.
5 Tony Adams (66) Arsenal.
Woeful baptism in Euro '88, yet developed with growing maturity, reaching peak alongside Southgate in Euro '96 under Terry Venables, epitomised professionalism in mastering his alcoholism.
6 Jack Charlton (35) Leeds.
No-nonsense, Gibraltar-figure, renowned for his 'little black book' of awaited reprisals, preferred the ball on the grandstand roof to any possibility of marginal risk.
7 Terry Butcher (77) Ipswich, Rangers.
Tailor-made hero's jacket, no player ever gave more for England, his commitment as doggedly fulsome as Bobby Robson's praise was over the top.
8 Gareth Southgate (57) Aston Villa, Middlesbrough.
The definitive self-made player whose tactical and positional intelligence enabled his performances consistently to exceed his natural talent. The ideal professional and team man.
9 Dave Watson (65) Sunderland, Manchester City.
Ace stopper, dominant in the air and on the ground. Watson (below) forged another of the enduring partnerships, with Thompson, which could have succeeded in Euro '80.
10 Des Walker (59) Nottingham Forest, Sampdoria, Sheffield Wednesday.
Terrier rat-catcher, in his prime perhaps the fastest there has been. Ideal partnership with Butcher in Bobby Robson's team that flirted with triumph in 1990.
11 Billy Wright (105) Wolves.
Exemplary sportsman, never booked despite tenacious tackling (more tolerant era), 59 caps at wing-half before switching to centre-half. Great motivator, technically limited, captain 90 times.
12 John Terry (39) Chelsea. Valuably quick for a modern game so geared to speed, a perceptive reader of opposition and a last ditch interceptor, though needs midfield sweeper as link man.
13 Phil Thompson (42) Liverpool. Master of Bob Paisley's passing game, and therefore predictably a fixture of Ron Greenwood's teams, conceding only 26 goals in 36 matches 1979-82.
14 Rio Ferdinand (59) West Ham, Leeds, Manchester United.
Gifted, yet not as peerless as he would like to believe, failing to distinguish between precision and casualness. Ferdinand (above) needs a touch of the Campbells.
15 Emlyn Hughes (62) Liverpool, Wolves.
Dynamic, any-position leader, foreshadowing Steven Gerrard, with similar long-ball fixation and scorer of some memorable goals, but occasionally tactically suspect.
16 Ron Flowers (49) Wolves.
Part of the Stan Cullis furniture alongside Billy Wright, a principally defensive wing-half in the old 4-2-4 formation, probably restricted by conditioning to the fashionable long ball game.
17 Norman Hunter (28 ) Leeds.
Denied longer European tenure by the presence of Moore, 'Bites-Yer-Legs' was so much more accomplished than his reputation for excesses would suggest.
18 Brian Labone (26) Everton.
Successor to Charlton with the defending champions in World Cup '70 who should have contested the final. Intelligent and technically sound, an old-school Evertonian.
19 Maurice Norman (23) Spurs.
Tiller of Tottenham's Double side, undramatic but 99 per cent reliable as backbone of Alf Ramsey's team until replaced by Jack Charlton.
20 Paul Madeley (24 caps) Leeds.
So versatile and polished in any defensive position he was probably best at full-back, yet could have flourished in a Beckenbauer-style attacking role. -
No Alan Hansen.
Great passer of the ball and uber cool at the back for LFC. -
Dont think Sol Campbell deserves to be that high in the list..and Southgate at number 8? just doesn't look right.
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The funny thing is they mentioned Terry is "Valuably quick for a modern game so geared to speed". I think Carvalho is always doing the track back with his pace and Terry is always the one cutting out passes and directing attacks.
Cheers.
CK -
steve bruce could have been one of the best defenders of his time
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martin keown is a defender who uses force.
anyway terry is actually quite a good passer of the ball but i don't think he has the pace as described.
i don't think southgate should be that high up.