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Once upon a time, full-backs were not considered essential parts of a team, with many seeing them as nothing more than afterthoughts to complete the numbers.
The general overview was that they were players who were too slow to play further upfield and not physical enough to play in the center of defence, with Jamie Carragher's infamous quip claiming 'nobody wants to grow up to be a Gary Neville' perhaps best encapsulating the consensus at the time.
However, exploits of players like Cafu, Roberto Carlos, and Ronald Koeman helped change the perception and tactical innovations have played a key role in implementing the full-backs as arguably the most involved position in a team.
These days, managers spend millions to purchase the ideal full-back and elite clubs like Real Madrid, Liverpool, Bayern Munich, and Borussia Dortmund all have full-backs playing a significant role in their attacking arsenal.
In recognition of the important contributions of the modern-day right-back, we shall be having a rundown of the top 10 right-backs in the world currently.
#10 Nelson Semedo (Barcelona / Portugal)
Since arriving at Barcelona from Benfica in the summer of 2017, Nelson Semedo has proven himself to be a useful member of the Catalan team.
The 26-year-old falls short in the technical requirements of the Blaugrana and for this reason, he sometimes loses out on his starting spot to Sergi Roberto but despite his shortcomings, the Portugal international has managed to demonstrate his usefulness over the years.
He is usually the preferred option when Barcelona have more defending to do, while he has also deputized for Jordi Alba at left-back on occasion.
Semedo has made over 100 appearances for the Spanish giants in the last three seasons, winning four major trophies.
Also Read: Top 5 defenders in the Premier League at present
#9 Aaron Wan-Bissaka (Manchester United / England)
After spending two seasons with the Crystal Palace first team, Manchester United were seemingly so convinced by Aaron Wan-Bissaka's abilities that they sanctioned his purchase for a sum of £50 million.
The 22-year-old has been earmarked as a future superstar and fans of the Red Devils will hope he can nail down a permanent spot in the right-back role for the foreseeable future, with the club having not had a specialist in that position since the departure of Gary Neville almost a decade ago.
The former Eagles defender has been criticized for his lack of output going forward, with his delivery and end-product leaving a lot to be desired, thereby contributing to the lack of bite in United's attack.
However, for what Wan-Bissaka lacks in creativity, he more than makes up in defensive solidity and he also currently ranks as one of the best tacklers in the world.
Also Read: Ranking the top 5 central defenders of the decade
#8 Daniel Wass (Valencia / Denmark)
Daniel Wass is an ever-present figure in the Valencia squad and has starred in the past for sides like Brondby, Evian, and Celta Vigo. It was his performances for the latter that convinced Los Ches to sign him in the summer of 2018 and he has grown from strength to strength in the last two years.
The 30-year-old's versatility means that he can be deployed in both full-back roles as well as further up in midfield. However, he has mostly played as a right-back for Valencia, with his bombarding runs forward and accurate delivery proving to be a handful for opposition defenders.
This season, the Danish international has weighed in with one goal and five assists from 22 LaLiga games as Valencia seek to secure Champions League qualification.
#7 Kyle Walker (Manchester City / England)
After spending eight seasons at White Hart Lane with Tottenham Hotspur, Kyle Walker completed a mega transfer to Manchester City for the sum of £50 million in 2017 and proceeded to win the Premier League title in each of his first two seasons at the Etihad.
The 29-year-old boasts of an abundance of speed and while his delivery is not as pristine as some of the other names on this list, Kevin de Bruyne's advanced role on the right flank of the Citizens' attack limits Walker's contributions but that takes nothing away from the quality he possesses.
#6 Kieran Trippier (Atletico Madrid / England)
After the arrival of Serge Aurier from PSG, Kieran Trippier found himself down the pecking order at Tottenham Hotspur and was subsequently sold to Atletico Madrid.
English players rarely thrive abroad but the 29-year-old has found a new lease of life in the Spanish capital and instantly became a staple for Diego Simeone, with his form even leading to reconsideration for the England national team.
#5 Ricardo Pereira (Leicester City / Portugal)
Ricardo Pereira was signed by Leicester City from Porto in the summer of 2018 for the sum of €25 million and despite not making the grade for the Portuguese giants, he has risen to new heights in the East Midlands.
In his first season at the King Power Stadium, Pereira made 37 appearances in all competitions for the Foxes and instantly became a fan favourite, with his tireless runs and energetic displays down the left flank winning him many admirers.
He was named the club's Player of the Year, as well as the Players' Player of the Year for his efforts in his debut season and he has replicated similar form in the ongoing campaign as Leicester seek to make it back to the top four.
Having finished fourth on the ranking for most tackles last season, Pereira currently leads the way as proof of his defensive solidity, while he also contributes in the final third evidenced by his two goals and three assists in the Premier League.
#4 Dani Carvajal (Real Madrid / Spain)
Real Madrid made history by becoming the first club to do a three-peat in the Champions League era and while forwards like Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema, and Gareth Bale might have gotten most of the accolades, a lot of their success was down to the contributions of their marauding full-backs.
With physically endowed players like Ronaldo, Bale and Benzema in the opposition box, all that is needed for goals to be scored is quality passing and pristine delivery and when it came to pin-point crosses, few could match the output of Dani Carvajal and Marcelo.
Although the former is defensively susceptible, his work in the Madrid attack is unrivalled and in games we have witnessed over and over in his prime, Los Blancos forwards have been massive beneficiaries of his accurate crossing and bombarding runs.
Injuries have taken a toll on his output in recent years but Carvajal is still one of the best in what he does.
#3 Joshua Kimmich (Bayern Munich / Germany)
Joshua Kimmich stole the limelight during his time with RB Leipzig and was consequently snapped up by Pep Guardiola in the summer of 2015. He was earmarked as a long-term replacement for Bayern Munich legend Philip Lahm and while the former skipper's shoes might have been too big to fill for most players, Kimmich has gone about the transition with minimum fuss.
The German was an ever-present figure as the Bavarians won their seventh consecutive Bundesliga title last season, playing all 34 matches and weighing with two goals and 13 assists for the club.
Despite not being blessed with exceptional pace, the 25-year-old boasts of intelligent passing and brilliant technique while his all-round ability has resulted in him being described as a 'veritable Swiss Army knife of a player'.
Kimmich's performances are made all the more impressive considering that he started his career as a centre-back before being converted into a full-back by Guardiola.
#2 Achraf Hakimi (Borussia Dortmund / Morocco)
The presence of Dani Carvajal at Real Madrid meant that despite possessing abundant potential, chances of featuring in the first team were at a premium for Achraf Hakimi.
As a result, a two-year loan transfer was agreed with Borussia Dortmund and he started life in Germany brightly, registering a trio of assists in his first Champions League match against Atletico Madrid.
Since then, the Moroccan international has regularly featured for BVB and his versatility has seen him deployed at left-back as well as further up the field in the middle of the park.
This season, the 21-year-old has emerged as a pivotal figure in Lucien Favre's side, making 22 appearances in the league, with two goals scored and 11 assists as Dortmund seek to dethrone Bayern Munich from the summit of the Bundesliga.
With his loan deal set to expire this summer, it would not be surprising if his parent club and current employers go head-to-head for his services.
#1 Trent-Alexander Arnold (Liverpool / England)
The last two years have been nothing short of spectacular for Trent-Alexander Arnold as he has grown from being an understudy to Nathaniel Clyne into inarguably the best right-back in the world at the moment.
The Liverpool defender was thrust straight into the deep end of the water following the long-term back injury sustained by Clyne but he took his chance and was so convincing that the more established England international could not reclaim his place upon his return to fitness.
Multiple records have been broken by the Reds academy product, including being the youngest pla to start a Champions League final for the Merseyside club when he played the full 90 minutes in their 3-1 loss to Real Madrid in 2018.
A year later, he became the youngest player to register three assists in a single Premier League match, doing so in the 5-0 demolition of Watford and his performances have since seen him established as England's first-choice right-back, which is no mean feat considering the abundance of quality in that position.
Alexander-Arnold has continued his scintillating form this season and has been one of the standout performers for Liverpool, contributing two goals and 10 assists as Jurgen Klopp's men march on towards the Premier League title.
The 21-year-old is on course to break teammate Andrew Robertson's record for most league assists in a season by a defender and he is the shoo-in favourite to be named the 2020 PFA Young Player of the Year.
