Where does Real Madrid legend Marcelo rank among the best left-backs of all time?
Real Madrid’s club captain, Marcelo, recently acquired the great honor of being the player to win the most titles with the club, tied with the legendary Paco Gento at 23.
While he doesn’t really have the legs he used to from his prime days, he’d indeed go down in the history books as an absolute club legend, no matter how his days with the Royal White club ends. He had a good game against Granada that Los Blancos won 1-0. It’d be good to see the club captain contribute to the season in such flashes that we’ve all drooled over in the past. He was indeed one of the most exciting players to watch in his prime.
Marcelo is looking to win one more trophy and create an individual record. As such, I’ve been thinking about where the Brazilian ranks among the best left-backs of all time? Here’s a quick top 10 that I have prepared for you.
Before you advance to the rankings, I’d like to add that Real Madrid’s central defender, David Alaba had a decent enough case to bag a spot in this left backs’ list but, because he is so good in multiple positions it is hard for me to take a call about him cracking the top 10 solely in left-back. We’ll see where he continues to play for the remainder of his career and which position at the end becomes his primary. He’ll surely be one of the most versatile players on the planet on any given day.
10. Ashley Cole
To find a left-back even close to the quality of Ashley Cole in the Premier League would be a hard task. He’d go down as the best left-back to grace the English stage. His turning point in his career was a loan spell away at Crystal Palace that earned him a first-team spot with Arsenal. Later, he moved to Chelsea in a controversial move that earned him the nickname, ‘Cashley Cole’.
Cole won two leagues titles and three FA Cups with the infamous ‘invincible’ Gunners side. With Chelsea, he could increase the tally with another league win, four FA Cups, one League Cup, and a big one, the Champions League. With the national side, Cole was unlucky to play at a time when the three lions didn’t roar as loudly as he did. Yet, he earned more than 100 caps and was a bright spot in England’s failed ‘Golden Generation’.
9. Nilton Santos
Nilton Santos played in an era of his own, in the 50s when full-backs weren’t given the liberty to venture forward too often and rather stick to their defensive roles. Legend has it that his manager Vicente Feola would give him an earful after he scored a brilliant goal dribbling past defenders while cutting inside in a World Cup game against Austria in 1958. That’s who he was, a player who would probably fit today’s game. A defensive player who couldn’t pass on an opportunity to venture forward.
Playing for a small club, Botafogo, Santos couldn’t taste success at the club level. But, he made more than enough with his opportunities with the Brazil National side winning two World Cups and a Copa America. A player well ahead of his times, he’s definitely someone who deserves to be talked about when we talk of the best left-backs of all time.