Football fans have ranked the 50 greatest defenders of all time and it is Italian legend Paolo Maldini who has come out on top of this list.
The Milan star spent an astonishing 25 years at the San Siro, winning seven Serie A titles and five Champions League trophies.
The Italian dominates the standings, winning more than 3000 more than his closest follower, former team-mate Franco Baresi.
He has played 902 games for Milan in his career, as well as 126 times for Italy, meaning he is the true definition of consistency.
'Il Capitano' taught an entire generation that defense could be just as crucial as offense, if you were one of the best.
Maldini and Baresi were part of the famous Milan team that went 58 games unbeaten from 1991 to 1993.
The pair played together 196 times and conceded just 23 goals; that's one goal every 8.5 games.
Below is the list of the specialized site Ranker:
50. Marcelo 49. Maicon 48. Paul Breitner 47. Riccardo Ferri 46. Antonio Cabrini 45. Philipp Lahm
Spanish duo Sergio Ramos and Gerard Pique are the only two active players to appear on the list.
The pair have become legends of Barcelona and Real Madrid, while Pique is in 13th place, or six places before Ramos.
For Premier League fans debating who is better, Nemanja Vidic or Virgil van Dijk, neither defender is in the top 50.
The Reds' Dutchman is in 65th position, while the former United defender is 64th.
Who do you think is the greatest defender of all time?
/Telegraph/
