Top Ten: Centre-backs under 6 foot
Liam Kelly
Posted on: 19 June 2009 - 12:37
Football
In the wake of Tony Adams' comments about Arsenal-target Thomas Vermaelen's height, Sport.co.uk bring you the best of football's shorter defenders, proving once and for all that height isn't everything in a world class defender.
1. Fabio Cannavaro
The only defender to ever win the FIFA World Player of the Year award was the 5'9" Fabio Cannavaro. The World Cup winning Italy captain firmly established himself as one of the games great defenders and has played at Juventus, Inter Milan and Real Madrid during the course of his career, as well as making the FIFPro World Eleven for two years running. A composed and authoritative presence at the back, Cannavaro, despite his height, is also a strong header of the ball and a dominating player in his own penalty area.
2. Franco Baresi
Franco Baresi, widely considered as one of the greatest defenders to ever play the game, stood at a less than intimidating 5'9". This didn't stop him captaining one of the greatest sides ever to three European Cup victories, five Italian Championships, four Italian Super Cups and three European Super Cups. AC Milan even took the rare option of retiring their No. 6 shirt in Baresi's honour after his retirement.
3. Carles Puyol
The home-grown Catalan captain has enjoyed the best years of his career recently, winning La Liga, the Copa del Ray, the Champions League and the European Championship all within the last twelve months. A giant in reputation, but not in height, the Barca captain stands at 5'10"
4. Roberto Ayala
The Argentine centre back and winner of two Spanish titles and a UEFA Cup with Valencia is also became Argentina's longest serving captain before his international retirement in 2007. At his peak one of the finest defenders in the world, combining power and elegance in equal measure throughout an eighteen year professional career which included three World Cup competitions. Ayala was 5'9" tall but his positioning, anticipation and composure more than made up for what he lacked in height.
5. Jamie Carragher
The Liverpool ace has been a crucial part of Merseyside team spine for the past few years, and Benitez' decision to transform him from a right back to a central defender has paid off in spades for the Reds. Despite Carragher only measuring up at 5'10", the Liverpool-born defender has become one of the Premiership's top defenders, however with Rio Ferdinand and John Terry ahead in the pecking order for the national team, Carragher retired from international football with just 34 caps in 2007.
6. Juan
The 5'11" Brazilian cente back currently plays for Italian club AS Roma after impressing during a five-year spell at German side Bayer Leverkusen. His first season at Roma saw the team win the Coppa Italia and take the race for the Serie A down to the last game of the season. Juan also captained the Brazilian national side to two Copa America titles and is a standout performer for his country.
7. Micah Richards
Manchester City and England's one-to-watch for the next few years got his first national team call up at the age of eighteen. Deputising for the injured Gary Neville, Richards' impressed against the Netherland's and has since been linked with Chelsea and Arsenal. Quick, young and versatile, if not the tallest, the 5'11" defender can play at centre back and right back and English hopes are high for this talented young stopper to fulfil his massive potential.
8. Phil Jagielka
One of the Premiership's best defenders this season came in the unlikely form of Everton's Phil Jagielka. One inch shy of six foot, Jagielka makes up for this with excellent positioning and intuitive reading of the game. The ex Sheffield United player earned an England call up in 2008 and has been a major part in Everton's impressive defence which kept 19 cleans sheets in the Premiership in 08/09.
9. Ivan Cordoba
At 5'8" the versatile Inter Milan defender is the shortest player to make the list. The Columbian has an abundance of pace and an outstanding talent for man-marking, yet is also a good header of the ball and a danger at set pieces. During his ten seasons at Inter Milan Cordoba won Serie A four times,the Italian Super Cup three times and the Coppa Italia two times, as well as captaining Columbia to the Copa America in 2001.
10. Thomas Vermaelen?
Time will tell whether the 5'11" Ajax centre back can prove Tony Adams wrong. The former Arsenal captain said that the Belgian international isn't ready for the Premiership, and that the punters at Arsenal wouldn't want another "small one." Although with the defender expected to undergo a medical at Arsenal today, it appears that Arsene Wenger is willing to overlook the height issue - and with some of the names on this list, who can blame him?