Ranking the best centre-backs in Premier League history: Van Dijk or Terry top? | OneFootball

Former Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United defenders are among the best centre-backs in Premier League history.

The Premier League has been blessed with some of the best defenders of all time and we’ve taken on the daunting task of ranking them all.

Not including players who peaked during the First Division like Steve Bruce or Mark Lawrenson, here are the 10 best defenders in Premier League history.

10. John Stones

Being the joint-most decorated centre-back in Premier League history, Stones rightfully deserves a place in the top 10.

The 31-year-old is one of the best ball-playing defenders that the league has ever seen and with six league titles under his belt, he’s got the silverware to back up his attributes.

9. Ricardo Carvalho

A key component of a record-breaking Premier League defence, Carvalho is certainly deserving of a place in the top 10.

In total, he racked up 135 top-flight appearances for Chelsea, winning the league on three occasions.

He was the perfect partner for John Terry, who we’ll speak about later…

8. Sol Campbell

Pound-for-pound, Campbell has to be considered as one of the best defenders that the league has ever seen. He’s certainly the most similar to David Brent on our list.

His controversial switch from Spurs to Arsenal certainly ruffled feathers at the time, but even the most die-hard Tottenham fan would struggle to begrudge Campbell a place in the top 10.

7. Vincent Kompany

Signed in 2008 from Hamburg, Kompany quickly established himself as a fan favourite among the Manchester City faithful.

He captained the club to four league titles and had it not been for injuries, could have been even higher up on this list.

Capable of scoring a clutch goal or putting his body on the line for a last-ditch tackle, Kompany had a bit of everything in his locker.

6. Jaap Stam

Who is the best defender as an individual? I’d say Jaap Stam,” Gary Neville said on The Overlap when describing Stam.

“I’m saying Jaap Stam is the best sort of one-on-one defender that United had.”

The only thing counting against Stam is the fact that his stint in England was fairly short, having only spent three full seasons in the Premier League.

5. Tony Adams

Some Premier League fans who grew up in the eighties and nineties would argue that Adams should be even higher on this list.

The former Arsenal skipper was a force to be reckoned with during his prime and he helped inspire the next generation of defenders that we see today.

With four league titles under his belt, he’s also got the silverware to back it up.

4. Nemanja Vidic

Vidic undoubtedly deserves a place in the top five and for some, he’d be even higher on this list.

He’s the only defender to have won the Premier League Player of the Season award on two separate occasions, having won it in 2008-09 and 2010-11.

Also, the narrative that he struggled against Fernando Torres has been widely overblown, with the Spaniard only scoring in three of his 15 games against him.

3. Rio Ferdinand

From this point onward, you could make a valid claim that any of these defenders in the top three deserves the top spot.

Ferdinand was an integral figure in one of the most dominant teams in Premier League history, winning the league on six occasions.

He formed a formidable partnership with Vidic and, during his prime years, was probably the best defender in the league.

With all that in mind, we wouldn’t begrudge anyone who has him in their number one spot.

2. Virgil Van Dijk

For some, Van Dijk has already done enough to be crowned the greatest defender in Premier League history.

While his trophy cabinet might not be as decorated as some of the other players on this list, few could argue with his place on this list when you consider his peak.

He’s the only player on this list to receive a podium finish in the Ballon d’Or, having finished second in the 2019 award, only behind Lionel Messi.

1. John Terry

For most, Terry is the best defender in Premier League history and we’d have to echo those sentiments.

The former Chelsea skipper is the ultimate Premier League defender, with the perfect blend of defensive awareness, physicality, leadership and clutch moments.

He’s also one of the most decorated defenders in the league’s history, with five league titles under his belt.

For some, Van Dijk peaked at a higher level than Terry in 2018-19, but Terry’s longevity just gives him the edge in this ranking.

“Terry was the player I had the best understanding with during my career,” Carvalho said of his centre-back colleague. No wonder .