From Enforcers to Playmakers: The 20 Greatest Right-Backs Ever (Nos. 20–11)
The right-back used to be the lad who tidied up, tucked in, and let the stars strut. Not anymore. Today, it’s a launchpad for playmaking, a sprint lane for wingers, and a chess piece managers move to win the midfield. From the old-school hard men to modern-day metronomes, the position has evolved into one of football’s most influential roles.
Here’s my countdown of the 20 greatest right-backs in football history — and in this instalment we’re tackling Nos. 20 to 11. If you fancy a flutter as you debate the list with your mates, have a nose at the best betting sites — but don’t @ me when your mate’s cult hero doesn’t make the cut.
No. 20 — Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool, Real Madrid)
The poster boy for the modern full-back. At 27, Alexander-Arnold has changed how the role is judged: not just overlaps and one-v-ones, but dictating play like a quarterback. He’s stacked up 383 senior appearances, 27 goals and a frankly outrageous 98 assists, with eight major honours already in the cabinet. After lifting the Premier League and Champions League with Liverpool, he’s swapped Anfield for the Bernabéu in the summer of 2025; all eyes will be on how his passing radar plays in white. Defensive questions? Sure. But when your delivery slices teams apart from 25 yards and set-pieces, you’re a system all on your own.
No. 19 — Phil Neal (Liverpool)
A serial winner and the gold standard for reliability. Neal hoovered up silverware like few others: 24 major honours, including eight First Division titles and four European Cups. Nicknamed “Zico” by his Liverpool mates for his knack of arriving with goals — 59 in 650 appearances — he was a full-back who smelled danger at one end and opportunity at the other. Fifty England caps tell you he was trusted at every level. Simply elite.
No. 18 — Dani Carvajal (Real Madrid)
Less flash than some, more decorated than most. Carvajal is the coach’s dream: consistent, competitive, and clever in big moments. With 539 senior outings, 18 goals and 82 assists, plus a haul of around 30 major honours headlined by multiple European Cups, he’s been the right flank’s metronome at Madrid. Not the most swashbuckling, but when trophies are handed out, he’s usually on the podium.
No. 17 — Willy Sagnol (Monaco, Bayern Munich)
Classy, combative, and crucial to one of France’s great vintages. Sagnol forged a fearsome partnership with Bixente Lizarazu for Les Bleus and became a Bayern stalwart, banking five Bundesliga titles. His ledger reads 429 appearances, nine goals and 50 assists, plus 16 major honours. Runner-up at the 2006 World Cup, winner at club level — a right-back who mixed steel with style.
No. 16 — Manuel Amoros (Monaco, Marseille, Lyon)
A pillar of French football in the ‘80s and early ‘90s. Amoros brought balance and bite down the right, helping Monaco and Marseille dominate domestically with five top-flight titles. His international peak? EURO 1984 glory with France. Across 590 appearances he chipped in 48 goals and 19 assists, and earned 82 caps. Understated to some, indispensable to those who played with him.
No. 15 — Maicon (Cruzeiro, Monaco, Inter, Manchester City, Roma)
Inter’s rampaging force of nature. Signed from Monaco in 2006 for a bargain fee, Maicon terrorised left-backs with power, pace and that samba swagger. Four Serie A titles, three Italian Cups, a Club World Cup, three Super Cups and — crowning it all — the 2009–10 Champions League under José Mourinho. He logged 480 appearances, 34 goals and 63 assists, and delivered one of the World Cup’s great moments with his thunderbolt from the tightest of angles against North Korea. Box-office footballer.
No. 14 — Manfred Kaltz (Hamburger SV)
A one-club titan, give or take brief French detours. Kaltz was famed for viciously swerving crosses — the “banana” delivery — and nerveless penalties. Try 761 appearances, 102 goals and 31 assists, plus nine major honours with HSV. Internationally, he lifted the European Championship and finished runner-up at the 1982 World Cup. A right-back who wrote his own manual.
No. 13 — Mauro Tassotti (Lazio, AC Milan)
Part of Milan’s defensive dynasty, Tassotti blended timing with tenacity over 17 years at San Siro. He tallied 627 appearances, 10 goals and 33 assists, and won 19 major honours in a side that reset the standards for elite defending. Only seven Italy caps, but don’t let that fool you: he was ahead of his time in offering attacking thrust from deep within a famously disciplined unit.
No. 12 — Berti Vogts (Borussia Mönchengladbach)
They called him “Der Terrier” for a reason. Vogts spent his entire club career at Gladbach, anchoring a golden era with five Bundesliga titles in seven seasons. Across 538 appearances he notched 45 goals and 10 assists, was named in the Bundesliga Team of the Season nine times, and became a symbol of reliability for club and country. A leader’s leader.
No. 11 — Kyle Walker (Tottenham, Manchester City, AC Milan)
Speed, strength and smarts — Walker is the prototype for the Premier League era. Since his Spurs days he’s evolved into a tactical Swiss Army knife for Pep Guardiola, toggling between touchline sprinter and auxiliary centre-half. The numbers are rock solid: 635 appearances, 12 goals, 52 assists and 18 major honours, capped by captaincy at Manchester City before a move to AC Milan. Ask any winger who’s tried to beat him in a footrace — it’s not fun.
The shape of the top 10
From here, we’re into the pantheon where legends like Cafu and Gianluca Zambrotta set the standard for adventure, and others redefined the craft. But that’s for the next chapter. For now, this lot — from Carvajal’s consistency to Maicon’s fireworks and Trent’s artistry — show just how far the right-back has come.
