John Terry

The greatest defenders currently in the Premiership ensure that they stop the best strikers from scoring goals. Here’s a list of the top defenders in the English Premier League (EPL):

• John Terry: ‘Captain, Leader, Legend’, read the various placards held by Chelsea supporters at matches. Brave John Terry came up through the youth ranks at Chelsea and made his debut for the club in 1998 at a tender age of 17. He was made the captain of the team in 2004-2005 season and since then has led the team to 3 premier league titles and 3 FA cups. Dominant in the air, he has the capacity to read the game in an excellent fashion and send those long balls to the last third of the ground. And those match winning headers don’t hurt at all!

• Rio Ferdinand: In 2002, when Sir Alex Ferguson signed young Rio Ferdinand from Leeds United, people were sceptical as to the ability of the lad to fit within the star-studded line up. But he proved that he is one of the best defenders in the world when his partnership with Nemanja Vidic helped Manchester United win three back-to-back Premiership titles and also the coveted Champions League crown.

• Ashley Cole: The fast-paced Chelsea and England left back has won accolades from the footballing world as being the best defender in the Premier League in the recent seasons. Since his transfer from Arsenal to Chelsea in 2006, he has remained the first choice left back for his team. His lethal forward surges and collaboration with fellow left-sided players Yuri Zhirkov and Florent Malouda have led to a number of goals and have made Chelsea almost unplayable. Team-mate Frank Lampard succinctly summed up Cole’s impact by saying “We are blessed that he plays for England because if there is anyone better in the world, I don’t know who he is”.

• Nemanja Vidic: His defensive partnership with captain Rio Ferdinand, one of the best CB partnerships in the world, has played a crucial role in Manchester United’s title bids. Vidic was awarded the Player of the Season award in 2008-2009 season in which he scored 4 goals for the club, by Barclay’s. He is the most consistent performer in the United back line with a solid frame and keen display. His rock solid performances have led to an excellent defensive record for United.

• Joleon Lescott: Mark Hughes said of Joleon Lescott, “Joleon is arguably the best centre-half in the Premier League and can be for a number of years”. Manchester City bought Lescott from Everton in the 2009-2010 season.  Though he has not yet hit the high which he had reached at Everton, we can safe say that he is one of the best Premier League defenders of our time. In the 2007-2008 season, he scored 8 goals for his club, an excellent record for a defender!

Honourable Mentions:

• Glen Johnson (Liverpool)
• Bacary Sagna, Kolo Toure (Arsenal)
• Jamie Carragher (Liverpool)
• Phil Jagielka: (Everton)
• Leighton Banes (Everton)

Tags: Ashley Cole, Defenders, English Premier Leagu, EPL, John Terry, Joleon Lescott, Nemanja Vidic, Rio Ferdinand