Who are Liverpool FC’s 5 best defenders ever? FA Cup winning captain Mark Wright shares his verdict.
5. Ron Yeats: 454 appearances between 1961 and 1971
Mark Wright: "In fifth place, it would be Ron Yeats. I have only seen footage of him but I respect him as a man; the way he talks, he's a very strong man. He's got big strong hands and he just wanted to go out and destroy and head balls. As I mentioned, I really haven't seen a lot of him and he probably would have been higher up if I'd seen more of big Ron but he definitely makes my Top 5."
4. Sami Hyypia: 464 appearances between 1999 and 2009
Mark Wright: "At number four it would be Sami Hyypiä. Even though he wasn't blessed with a lot of pace, everyone could see how he controlled the game. His passing range was great and he was very dominant in the air and on the ground. A great, great servant for Liverpool Football Club."
3. Phil Thompson: 477 appearances between 1971 and 1985
Mark Wright: "At three, it would be Phil Thompson. It feels like a flip of the coin which way any of these top five went but Phil Thompson was a captain and did so many great things for Liverpool Football Club that he gets the nod at number three. He wasn't the tallest defender and he certainly wasn't the biggest or the strongest of defenders but he marshalled the defence really well. He was very good in everything that he did and that's why he went on to play for England as well as Liverpool."
2. Jamie Carragher: 737 appearances between 1996 and 2013
Mark Wright: "In second place it would be Jamie Carragher for the simple reason that he had more passion than any defender I can think of. He had a no-nonsense approach to everything he did - putting his body on the line, getting cuts, getting hurt and doing all the bits and pieces that you want from your central defender . He is just a great lad as well. He had what I like to see in defenders and maybe that's a dying breed in the game now. He was just like, ‘Body on the line, no one is getting through.'"
1. Alan Hansen: 620 appearances between 1977 and 1991
Mark Wright: "At number one, simply because he was just a classy individual every time he played, is Alan Hansen. He'd stroll out from the back, he got cuts and his tackling was fantastic. I don't think he was the most dominant in the game but he did everything that he had to do. "He was actually quicker than most people thought but that's Alan Hansen! He seemed so calm and made things look easy but you can't do that unless you are a truly brilliant and intelligent player. He was a class act every time you watched him play and for that reason, he's my best Liverpool defender of all time."
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