'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Goal scoring has always been the exclusive preserve of the world's great forward players. Strikers have always been the players who shoulder the goalscoring burden. The duty of everyone else was to prevent goals and create opportunities for the strikers.
In modern times, the demand for goals has shifted from being primarily a striker's job. Now more than ever; inverted wingers, midfielders and other non-strikers are scoring more than their fair share of goals.
Centre-backs have always scored goals; primarily from set-piece situations. They cant prolific as say wingers due to their position on the field. However, some have entered footballing folklore for their goalscoring exploits.
Here is an in-depth look at some of the game's greatest goalscoring centre-backs of all-time.
#5 Fernando Hierro (163 Goals)
Clubs: Real Valladolid, Real Madrid, Bolton Wanderers
Hierro's coaching career has been nothing to write about. However, as a player who shone in the all-white jersey of Real Madrid, he was peerless.
After arriving at the Santiago Bernabeu from Real Valladolid in 1989, Madridistas weren't too enamoured with the player. His thoughtful, shuffle-like movement and facial expressions didn't endear him immediately to the fans.
As time went on, he became a firm fan favourite as his aerial prowess, passing, intercepting and leadership won him a lot of plaudits. His goalscoring helped a great deal to earn him the cult-hero status he enjoyed. A master freekick and penalty taker, Hierro was a veritable threat at both ends for both Real Madrid and the Spanish national team.
In his 14 years at the Bernabeu, he got 129 goals for Los Merengues. This was a tally better than some strikers who have played for the club for an extended period. Hierro was just as prolific for La Furia Roja with 29 goals in 89 appearances.
#4 Sinisa Mijhalovic (105 Goals)
Clubs: Borovo, Vojvodina, Red Star Belgrade, Roma, Sampdoria, Lazio, and Inter Milan
Young football fans will probably recognize this name as a former coach for clubs like AC Milan, Sampdoria, Fiorentina among others. However, footie enthusiasts of a certain vintage will remember him as the hard-tackling centreback with one of the best left-foots the football world has ever seen.
Mijhalovic didn't actually become a centre-back until late in his career. He had played as a left winger, central midfielder and left back before finally becoming a central defender. He shone for Internazionale among other clubs in this position. His possessed an intimidating physique, combining tenacity with excellent technique and amazing passing ability.
He was generally regarded as one of the world's preeminent set-piece specialist. Able to add amazing dip and curve to every dead-ball situation, he was feared by opposing teams. Every direct free kick awarded to a team with Mijhalovic on it was almost seen as a penalty.
Alongside Andrea Pirlo, he holds the record for the most freekick goals in Serie A with 28 goals. He was just as prolific for the Yugoslavian national team with 10 goals in 63 appearances.
#3 Sergio Ramos (81 Goals)
Clubs: Sevilla, Real Madrid
Captain Clutch, Last Minute-Hero, Mr. Reliable. These and many more appellations fail to do justice to Ramos' goalscoring.
Having started his professional career with hometown club Sevilla as a right-back, going forward was something he has always done. However, few defenders in world football go forward with the assurance and menace that Ramos carries with him.
In the history of the UEFA Champions League, only four players have scored in two or more finals. It is no surprise to see the competition's all-time leading trio: Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and Raul Gonzalez on the list.
However, Ramos has scored in two finals; 2014 and 2016, a record that even great strikers like Gerd Muller do not have. While not as prolific as the other players on the list who have scored triple-digit goals, the importance of the goals ensures he gets a pride of place on this list.
He has been just as good for the Spanish national team in terms of caps and goals; 17 in 161 games.
Video: Sergio Ramos' best headed goals against Barcelona
#2 Daniel Passarella (182 Goals)
Clubs: Sarmiento, River Plate (twice), Fiorentina, Internazionale
Widely regarded as South America's greatest centre-back, the Argentine star set the template from which hard-tackling defenders; Nemanja Vidic, Ramos and others have copiously borrowed from.
Renowned for his tough-tackling, take-no-prisoners style, Passarella was a difficult man to beat. He was quick, brilliant in the air and blessed with a keen understanding of the art of defending.
Like Ramos, most of Passarella's goals came from set-piece situations; headers from freekicks and corner kicks as well as penalties. Like the Spanish international, El Gran Capitan (The Big Captain) wasn't the tallest centre-back.
Standing at 1.73m, he was disadvantaged height-wise. He more than made up for this by constantly working of his leaping and heading abilities. This helped him get to his amazing goals tally. 90 of these goals were scored for his beloved River Plate, the club he achieved legendary status with as a player, captain, and coach.
He led the Albiceleste to World Cup victory on home soil in 1978. He was just as prolific for Argentina as he was for his club sides with 22 goals in 70 matches.
Passarella held the record for most goals by a defender until the next man on this list came along.
#1 Ronald Koeman (253 Goals)
Clubs: Groningen, Ajax Amsterdam, PSV Eindhoven, FC Barcelona, Feyenoord
Before becoming manager at Valencia, Everton and the Dutch national team, there was Koeman the player; fantastic centreback and a great goalscorer. Possessing a magic wand of a left foot, a lot of pundits felt the Dutch star was wasted in defence.
He was one of the ball-playing defenders whose style of passing out from the back and relying on intelligence to make timely interceptions rather than brawn became something of a template for future defenders.
Nicknamed Tintin for his hair’s uncanny resemblance to the cartoon character’s, Koeman was immaculate in tackling, read the game well and was excellent aerially. However, his skill set always gave watchers that he could do a decent job further up the pitch.
Perhaps he could have played more as a defensive midfielder. Maybe he would have been more than decent in a central midfield role. What was never in doubt was his goalscoring.
Unlike the likes of Ramos and Passarella, Koeman didn't just score headers and penalties. His amazing left foot had curves even fashion models dream of. He had an amazing record from freekicks and screamers from outside the penalty area.
Cules will always remember the freekick which won Barcelona its first ever European Cup (UEFA Champions League) in 1992. The extra-time screamer against Sampdoria at Wembley Stadium was the catalyst for the club's current status in European football.
