#4 Vitaliy Denisov
Age: 29
Club: Lokomotiv Moscow
Position: Left back
Interceptions per game: 4.3
Just shading Ismail to the fourth spot is the first of two Russian Premier League players on this list, Lokomotiv Moscow left-back Vitaliy Denisov. Another perhaps old-fashioned player, Denisov is not a traditional attacking full-back, as many are today. His attacking numbers do not make for impressive reading, but his defensive stats are fantastic.
Over the last five seasons, Denisov has averaged 3.5 interceptions per game, the number rising with each passing year, from 3.7 in 2014/15 and 4.2 in 2015/16 to 4.3 so far this season.
What is interesting to note is that even if things go wrong, he can be depended upon to bail his team out as he also averages 3.1 successful tackles per game over the last five years. He still has a good few years left in the tank and could be a useful option for a mid-table side in any of Europe’s top five leagues.
