English Football

Who really is the Best Defender in the Premier League?

by
Kieran
5 November 2009

The Premier League is at it’s strongest in the whole 16 years it has been formed. There has always been a debate regarding ‘who is the best?’, today we’ll debate this further.

It’s an old debate which will never be solved by facts, it’s a matter of opinion. With the likes of John Terry, Nemanja Vidic, William Gallas, Kolo Toure, Jamie Carragher, Ledley King and Richard Dunne it’s an argument that will never be solved, especially so in the 2009/2010 season.

John Terry, would be considered by many to be one of, if not the best defender in Europe. He has made a total of 402 appearances in all competitions for Chelsea and has 56 England caps. Terry can also score goals, netting 28 times in all for the Blues. He also holds the captains armband, which he has done now for 5 consecutive seasons, after being handed it in the 2003/2004 season by then manager Claudio Ranieri at the age of just 22. He is also the team captain for England.

Chelsea have had a lot of success under the leadership of Terry, and he has 7 major honours to his name, including two Charity Shields. John Terry’s reputation has taken no dents either, after appearing in the FIFPro World XI on 4 occasions and the UEFA Team of the Year 4 times, the most recent one coming in 2008. With his Mannerisms and Ethics, John Terry is considered to have one of the best etiquettes in World Football.

John Terry at an England Press Conference

Nemanja Vidic signed for Manchester United back in 2006 for £7m from Spartak Moscow. The Serbian international has been one of the brightest up and coming stars for quite a few seasons now and shows this on international and club level. I believe the good trait that belongs to Vidic, is his fiery ambition, the passion he wears on his sleeve and his work ethic. Unfortunately the fiery ambition has got the better of him, as shown in the Champions recent defeat to Liverpool. For me Vidic hasn’t played at the top level for long enough to be crowned ‘the best’ and if he stays in England and at Manchester United then he’ll go far.

Football - Manchester United v Sunderland Barclays Premier League

Nemanja Vidic celebrates scoring v Sunderland

William Gallas on the other hand has played in England now since 2001, which gives him an extra 5 years experience on Nemanja Vidic. Gallas joined the Premier League for Claudio Ranieri’s Chelsea after 4 successive seasons at French giants Olympique Marseille. After winning the Premier League in 2005 and 2006 under Jose Mourinho, he was involved in a rather controversial transfer to London rivals Arsenal, with Ashley Cole going the other way. As conspicuous as this was, it opened a new chapter in his career. At Arsenal, Gallas was able to shine as a strong, commanding and influential squad member, this leading to Arsene Wenger awarding him with the captaincy in August, 2007.

All was rosy in the garden for William Gallas even after his reaction of the Eduardo incident the previous campaign. In the 2008/2009 season, more controversy surrounded him after he came out and told the media that the youngsters of the club had to be more brave to be successful. Arsene Wenger saw this as bringing disrepute to the club and changing room. For this Gallas was dropped and was officially stripped of his captaincy, later being awarded to Cesc Fabregas.

To still be considered the rock of the team, after the series of unfortunate events shows his determination to regain his respect and dignity. Any player that can do this, deserves applause from football fans across the world, he made the mistakes and put them right.

Arsene Wenger consoles William Gallas after the Birmingham City game

So you ask yourselves, “who really is the best defender in the Premier League?”. I’m sorry readers but there is no answer to this question, just opinions, but if I had to give an answer I would say John Terry. With the experience and respect that Terry commands, his mannerisms on and off football field and his rich and successful experience at Chelsea, this for me makes John Terry ‘The best defender in the Premier League’, maybe even the best player in the Premier League.