The 20 Greatest Left-Backs of All Time

The 20 Greatest Left-Backs of All Time
Shirt number: 3
Although the term "full back" dates from the earliest football formations its early exponents were ositioned centrally and would really be seen as centre-backs today. The true full-back was born when Herbert Chapman created the W-M formation in the late 1920s by pulling back a third defender and pushing the two "full-backs" out wide. Left footed players generally make the best left-backs. In the modern game more is asked of the full-back (or wing-back), who now has to both defend and provide a wide attacking outlet. Great full-backs often make godd free-kick and even penalty takers. The following are presented in chronological order.

Fachetti

Eddie Hapgood  England  1930s  (Arsenal)

Johnny Carey  Ireland  1940s  (Man Utd)

Nilton Santos  Brazil  1954-62  (Botafogo)

Silvio Marzolini  Argentina  1960s  (Boca Juniors)

Karl-Heinz Schnellinger  Germany  1962-70  (Cologne/Milan)
Giacinto Facchetti  Italy  1966-74  (Inter)
Ruud Krol  Holland  1970s  (Ajax)
Emlyn Hughes  England  1970s  (Liverpool)
Alberto Tarantini  Argentina  1974-82  (Boca Jrs/Toulouse)
Paul Breitner  Germany  1974-82  (Bayern Munich/Real Madrid)

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Maldini

Antonio Cabrini  Italy  1978-86  (Juventus)

Jose Antonio Camacho  Spain  1980s  (Real Madrid)
Andreas Brehme  Germany  1980s/90s  (Kaiserslauten/Inter)

Robert Jarni  Croatia  1990s  (Hajduk Split/Real Betis)
Frank De Boer  Netherlands  1990s  (Ajax/Barcelona)

Roberto Carlos  Brazil  1990s/00s  (Palmeiras/Real Madrid)

Bixente Lizarazu  France  1990s/00s  (Bordeaux/B.Munich)
Paolo Maldini  Italy  1980s/90s/00s  (AC MIlan)

Ashley Cole  England  2000s/10s  (Arsenal/Chelsea)
Philip Lahm  Germany  2000s/10s  (Bayern Munich)