Raphael Varane has retired from international aged just 29. The Manchester United defender ends his career for France with 93 caps, winning one World Cup. His stellar career has been littered with trophies and puts him in the conversation for the best defenders of his generation. Of course, he has the chance to win even more with Man United in the EFL Cup final later this month.
With this news, we take a look at the best five defenders of the last 15 years, taking into account both international and club form.
Raphael Varane
The 29-year-old centre-back has was at the heart of the Real Madrid team that dominated Europe in recent years. Joining from French side Lens in 2011, the Frenchman made a total of 360 appearances before joining Man United in 2021. His honour list includes three La Liga titles and four Champions League trophies. He also played every minute as France won the World Cup in 2018, becoming just the fourth player to win a World Cup and Champions League in the same year.
Sergio Ramos
Often Varane’s partner in centre of defence, Ramos possesses all the attributes of a modern defender, also with old-school tactics. Excellent and quick on the ball, the Spaniard has so far scored more than 130 goals for both club and country. Never one to shy away from a scrap, Ramos can be considered a defender worthy of any era, having been sent off 20 times in La Liga and four times in the Champions League. In terms of trophies, the 36-year-old has five La Liga, four Champions League, one Ligue 1, two European Championships and one World Cup medal.
Gerard Pique
Recently retired having played his last professional match in November 2022, Pique made more than 600 appearances for Barcelona, as well as winning 102 caps for Spain. A commanding centre-back, Pique established a formidable partnership with Carlos Puyol for both club and country. Part of the legendary Barcelona side under Pep Guardiola, Pique went on to win eight La Liga titles, three Champions Leagues, the 2012 European Championship and the 2010 World Cup.
Vincent Kompany
A big part of the Manchester City revolution, Kompany was one of the best centre-backs in the Premier League during the majority of his time at the club, between 2008 and 2019. Having signed for Man City just days before the club were taken over by City Football Group, Kompany amassed 360 appearances for City, captaining them to the 2011/12, 2013/14, 2017/18 and 2018/19 Premier League titles. An influential leader, Kompany also went on to earn 89 caps for Belgium and is also excelling as manager, with his Burnley side top of the EFL Championship.
Virgil van Dijk
The 31-year-old Dutch international is seen as one of the best defenders in the world currently. He entered the Premier League in 2015, joining Southampton from Celtic. Liverpool signed him in January 2018 for a reported fee of £75m and he played a big part in the club’s rise as a major European force. His honours for the club include the 2019/20 Premier League title and the 2018/19 Champions League. Only injuries in recent years has hampered his progress but with all the tools needed to be a world-class modern day defender, expect van Dijk to be at the top of his game for years to come.
Do you agree with our five or have we missed out a dead cert? Let us know on social media!
