Yesterday we brought you the first five defender's which are considered as the best of all time. We continue the feature by bringing you our next five players and here we have some more recognisable names.
Gaetano Scirea - Years active: 1972-1988
National team: Italy
Gaetano Scirea spent most of his club career with Juventus where he played as a 'libero'. Being in that position placed him as the last line of defense before the goalkeeper, a role which he fulfilled with unparalleled brilliance. Scirea was in the Italian football team for nearly 12 years, with which he won a World Cup title in 1982. He teamed up with Claudio Gentile to become one of the pillars of Italy's defence. Although he passed away at the young age of 36, Scirea gathered enough titles to become a legend. Among his championships were seven Serie A titles, UEFA Cup (1977), UEFA Cup Winner's Cup (1984), European Cup (1985), and Intercontinental Cup (1985).
Franco Baresi - Years active: 1977-1997
National team: Italy
Baresi is endeared to AC Milan fans for staying with the club through its best and worst times, but what makes him admired by football fans is his defensive ability. Baresi is also remembered for being the mentor of Paolo Maldini. As testament to his greatness, Milan retired his football jersey number, a very rare practice in Italy. No player of AC Milan will ever wear the number 6 jersey after Baresi. By the time his career ended, Baresi has gathered at total of 14 major championships: 6 Serie A titles, 3 European Super Cups, 3 European Cups, and 2 Intercontinental Cups.
Bobby Moore - Years active: 1958-73
National team: England
Robert Frederick Chelsea "Bobby" Moore was hailed by Pele as the greatest defender he has ever faced. He never gave up on a ball and he times his tackles immaculately. Despite his physicality, Moore played fairly and clean, which earned him the respect of other players. Moore's career is highlighted only by two major championships.... One is the 1965 UEFA Cup Winner's Cup which he won with West Ham United, and the other is no less than the World Cup in 1966, which he won as England's Captain.
Paolo Maldini - Year active: 1985-2009
National team: Italy
With 26 championships across his name, and owning the most number of caps for Italy, Paolo Maldini is practically unequalled both as a player and a defender. He earned his place in football greatness for far greater reasons than the championships could tell. Maldini is, quite simply, the best defender of his time. He was quick and strong, able to stick to his man and tackle down any opponent who challenges his defence. He also has exceptional endurance, able to run up and down the whole field length throughout the game.
Franz Beckenbauer - Years active: 1964-83
National team: Germany
Franz Beckenbauer was notable for his game-turning goals but amazingly, he played as a sweeper. His success was a result both of his skills and his brilliance in modifying the roles of a defender. Before Beckenbauer came into the spotlight, the role of the sweeper or 'libero' was purely defensive. But he saw the possibility of utilizing his position in order to lead his team's attack and would at times finish the attack he started.
He won the European Cup thrice, UEFA Cup Winner's Cup, and the Intercontinental Cup. He also played a great part when Germany proved itself to be the best in Europe by winning the 1972 UEFA European Football Championship. On top of those major championships is the 1974 FIFA World Cup title, which was made more memorable for Beckenbauer since he won it as a team captain.
Who was your favourite defender of all time?
