The 10 best full-backs in Premier League history according to Alan Shearer
Former Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester United stars are among the best Premier League full-backs of all time according to Alan Shearer.
The top scorer in the history of the league appeared on the Match of the Day Top 10 podcast and came up with the list alongside pundit and former full-back Micah Richards.
While the two did disagree on the placement of some, the 10 names are the same, so here’s what Sherarer opted for:
10. Micah Richards
Perhaps biased by the fact Richards was in the room with him, Shearer put the former Manchester City player at No 10 on his list.
According to Shearer, if Richards had stayed fit he would have been “right up there.”
Richards played 204 times in the Premier League, scoring seven and assisting 11, and won the league in 2011-12.
9. Patrice Evra
The first disagreement between the pundits came at number nine with Shearer opting for Evra.
The Frenchman joined Manchester untied in 2006 and became a mainstay in Sir Alex Ferguson’s side, making 273 league appearances.
He won five titles in that time before joining Juventus in 2015 and Shearer described him as a “brilliant player.”
“Quick, strong, he got up and down and was a part of that Manchester United team that were hugely successful,” Shearer said.
Richards, meanwhile, had him fourth.
8. Lee Dixon
Dixon made it to eighth on Shearer’s list as the Newcastle legend did admit the game had moved on.
“The game has changed, but if you are looking for a defender that you could rely upon in that system then bingo. He was perfect,” Shearer said.
Dixon joined Arsenal when George Graham was in charge, but kept his spot following the arrival of Arsane Wenger.
Along with Nigel Winterburn, Tony Adams and Steve Bould, Dixon was part of a famous Arsenal defence and won the Premier League twice with the London club.
7. Stuart Pearce
Psycho makes it to No. 7 in Shearer’s list after his 202 Premier League appearances.
The former Nottingham Forest man was picked out for praise by Shearer for his attitude towards the game.
“As a top professional, there are not many better than him,” he said. “He’d hate to let anyone know he was hurt.
“The penalty he scored in Euro 96 against Spain epitomised what Pearcey is all about. Having missed the size of the penalty he missed in 1990, to then have the guts to say ‘yeah, I’ll have this one’.”
6. Kyle Walker
One of the most decorated players in Premier League history is Walker, who won six league titles during his time at City.
Signed from Tottenham, the England defender’s pace was a crucial element of Pep Guardiola’s team and if they were ever caught on the counter, chances are it was Walker who would tidy things up.
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5. Gary Neville
Picked as the second-best by Richards, Gary Neville could only make No. 5 in Shearer’s list.
The most famous pundit on our screens today, Neville is part of Manchester United folklore and while the likes of David Beckham and Cristiano Ronaldo dazzled ahead of him, Neville was a Mr Reliable for Ferguson.
“On the pitch, I think he was more reliable than spectacular, which is no bad thing for a defender,” Shearer said.
“He was very, very good. He played in some good teams, with good players around him but he was good at what he had to do.”
4. Andy Robertson
Scotsman Robertson joined Liverpool from Hull in 2017 and became part of the flying full-back duo along with Trent Alexander-Arnold.
The 31-year-old trails only his team-mate in assists by an out-and-out defender in the league.
3. Trent Alexander-Arnold
Opinion is divided on Alexander-Arnold’s defensive ability, but there are few better than him going forward.
His passing range became a key attacking focus of Klopp’s side and since making his debut at 18, the Liverpool-born player has been a consistent player in the team.
His time in the league may soon be over with a rumoured move to Real Madrid, but he is undoubtedly one of the most technically gifted full-backs the league has seen.
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2. Denis Irwin
Another dividing point between the pundits was Irwin who Richards put in seventh but Shearer had second.
Irwin has received a lot of praise from the likes of Ferguson and Roy Keane and Shearer was also a big admirer.
“He was Mr Reliable, hardly ever missed games and scored goals,” the former England captain said. “The £600,000 Manchester United paid for him from Oldham, talk about value for money.
“He paid that back and a few million more. He was always the quiet one in that Manchester United team, but he was like the silent assassin.”
1. Ashley Cole
The undisputed No 1, it has been 11 years since Cole left the Premier League but no one has come close to his ability.
Quick with an attacking threat but also incredibly strong defensively, Cole goes down as not just one of the best full-backs the league has ever seen but in the history of the sport.
“This, for me, was my easiest topic to pick number one,” Shearer said. “Ashley Cole stands out on here more than anyone else for being a defender. He was the best at that.
“Very rarely anyone got past him, you couldn’t rough him up because he was hard as nails. He was nasty, horrible at times.
“But one versus one, he was magnificent.”