Top 5 central defenders of the decade

As the year and the decade comes to a close, we as football fans have been treated to some of the greatest teams, managers, players and matches to have ever been played. Since the start of the 2010s, we have seen Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo put up unprecedented goal scoring statistics year after year, the joint highest-scoring World Cup final, some of the most entertaining Champions League matches and more than a handful of mindboggling goals.

It is usually the strikers or goal scorers rather that are celebrated, as it's goals that are remembered, but as Sir Alex Ferguson famously said, "Attack wins you games, defence wins you titles", so here are 5 of the best defenders of this decade.

5. Mats Hummels

You know a player is special when both Bayern and BVB fans love him

For a player being loved at his club is common, but being loved by fans from rival clubs is rare and that's what Hummels managed to do. During the course of the decade, Hummels switched from Bayern Munich to Borussia Dortmund and went back to bavarian club, before sensationally sealing a return to Signal Iduna Park this summer. If there was one thing that was constant during these ten years were trophies.

A classy defender who is just as good with the ball at his feet as he was in the air, Hummels has been as consistent as they come when it comes to centre halves. He has been just as good at spraying a 40-yard cross-field pass as he is at putting in a crunching last man challenge.

His confidence and elegance have seen him compared to German legend Franz Beckenbauer. After winning 5 League titles and a World Cup, Hummels managed to amass 15 major accolades, due to which he comfortably makes the list.

4. Thiago Silva

Often underrated, but certainly one of the best

Thiago Silva's decade started with a goal in the very first match of the 2010-11 season with AC Milan, a sign of things to come you could say. He was instrumental in AC Milan lifting the Scudetto that year given that their city rivals were fresh off their treble-winning season and the domination Juventus has had since then.

His performances for Milan saw Franco Baresi call him "his natural heir" at the club. The Brazilian was not only great in his position, but was also versatile enough to fill in at full-back as well as a defensive midfielder when needed.

Silva became the world's most expensive defender at the time of his €42 million transfer to Paris Saint-Germain and trophies have followed him there as well. 20 trophies with the Parisians as well as the Confederation Cup and Copa America with the national team prove he is one of the best in his position and he certainly deserves the plaudits he receives. He started the decade by winning the Italian League title and ended it with the Copa America, a testament to his longevity at the top of the game.

3. Giorgio Chiellini

A Man's Man, at the heart of the Old Lady's defence

The quintessential Italian defender, if there is someone as hard as nails in football it is this man. He may not be the silkiest ball-playing defender, but when it came to keeping the ball out of the net, there are few better than him. Signed by Juventus back in 2005 for a measly €6.5 million, he has gone on to become a stalwart of the game.

Along with Leonardo Bonucci and Andrea Barzagli, he brought old fashioned Italian defending back into practice and the trio broke multiple Serie A records at the heart of the defence. 8 league titles on the bounce is a stellar achievement and he played a major role in each one of them. He reminded the world that a defender's first job is to defend and he'd probably go down as the best defender's defender of this decade.

Off the field, he is one of the nicest and most educated footballers, as he holds an MBA degree from the University of Turin, showing there are two sides to him. 17 trophies to his name with the Old Lady as well as being named the club's captain after Gianluigi Buffon left the club in 2018 marks a well-deserved end to this decade's defensive torchbearer.

2. Gerrard Pique

If there is someone who embodies the Catalonian spirit it is one man, Gerrard Pique. The outspoken Spaniard has been a constant in the Barcelona lineup since his return to the club just before the start of the decade. He has arguably been just as important to the team as Lionel Messi has been.

He is the man guarding the backline, making last-ditch tackles, goal-line clearances and marking opposition attackers out of games. Pique has redefined what it means to be a centre back. His skill and comfort on the ball are second to none and this is what allows Barcelona to play out from the back. The confidence managers have had in his ability to shut out attacks gives the team license to press opponents high up the field.

It is common to see the Catalan side's defensive line stationed around the halfway line, all thanks to this man. Never afraid to speak his mind and always ready for a fight, Pique is the perfect combination of brain and brawn. Amassing a staggering 33 trophies in his career, Pique is the archetypical modern defender.

1. Sergio Ramos

There is only one man who can be named the best defender of this decade, Mr Clutch- Sergio Ramos. The captain and leader of arguably the best team of the decade, Ramos was more than a defender, he personifies Real Madrid. The Spaniard has always divided opinion, you either love him or hate him. Some people may call him rash but that's just his passion for the crest on his kit.

Whenever Madrid need a goal, and the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale and Karim Benzema couldn't deliver, he stepped up and got it. Throughout the decade, a late corner in a match that Madrid needed to win, meant a Ramos goal. Opponents dread him, peers envy him and Madridistas love him. Scoring over 100 career goals for a defender is no mean feat. 4 Champions Leagues in 5 years, along with 19 more trophies see Sergio Ramos named the best defender of the 2010s.