The Five Best Right-Backs In The History Of The Premier League
● Kyle Walker’s pace and athleticism proved instrumental for Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City in their unprecedented domestic dynasty.
● Gary Neville’s tenacious defending and consistent performances helped transform Manchester United into a powerhouse both on the domestic and international front under Sir Alex Ferguson.
● Known for his energy, aggression and never-say-die spirit, Branislav Ivanović emerged as a warrior in defence for Chelsea and came up with some key moments on both ends of the pitch.
When the Premier League launched in 1992, the right-back position was mainly associated with defensive duties like blocking crosses and winning ground duels – three decades later, it’s safe to say that plenty has changed. The modern right-back is tasked with bombing up and down the pitch, combining with attacking teammates, and whipping crosses into the box. Today, we’re taking a look at the five greatest right-backs who have played in the Premier League.
Ranking factors
● Longevity
● Goals and assists
● Clean sheets
● Win/loss record
● PFA Team of the Season inclusions
● Premier League titles
5. Pablo Zabaleta
Pablo Zabaleta helped oversee Manchester City’s metamorphosis from a midtable side to a domestic powerhouse, and he even scored on the final day of the 2011/12 season to secure their first league title in 44 years. Similarly to Mitchell Van Der Gaag, Zabaleta was a relentless workhorse who thrived at charging forward to the byline and teeing up a perfectly weighted cross and who knew just the right angle to lunge in with a tackle, come away with the ball, and avoid conceding a costly foul.
Zabaleta emerged as a fan favourite thanks to his grit and leadership and became one of the few South American players to complete a full set of major honours in English football before eventually leaving in 2017. Whilst he was unable to take part in City’s golden era under Pep Guardiola, he certainly helped set the foundation for it.
| Pablo Zabaleta’s stats |
| (Manchester City 2008-17), West Ham (2017-2020) |
| 9 goals and 21 assists in 302 Premier League appearances |
| 86 clean sheets |
| 155 wins and 82 losses |
| Voted in the PFA Team of the Season in 2012/13 |
| Won two Premier League titles with City |
4. Branislav Ivanović
If there’s one phrase that can sum up Branislav Ivanović, it’s big-game player. Ivanović’s resilience and fighting spirit proved vital in Chelsea’s success, and it’s why he is still fondly remembered by their fans as a loyal servant to the club who always stepped up when the lights were brightest.
Capable of holding his own in aerial battles, bursting forward and testing the goalkeeper with a wicked delivery, Ivanović was the complete package, constantly breathing down his opponents’ necks and asserting himself in challenges. No matter where he played, the swashbuckling Serbian got the job done and cemented himself as a mainstay in Chelsea’s backline thanks to his defensive acumen, positional awareness, and proclivity for clutch goals, none more important than his stoppage-time winner in the 2012/13 UEFA Europa League Final.
| Branislav Ivanović’s stats |
|---|
| (Chelsea 2008-17), West Bromwich Albion (2020-2021) |
| 22 goals and 20 assists in 274 Premier League appearances |
| 155 wins and 57 losses |
| 88 clean sheets |
| Voted in the PFA Team of the Season in 2009/10 and 2014/15 |
| Won three Premier League titles with Chelsea |
3. Gary Neville
What do you get when you combine an astute reading of the game, limitless stamina, and measured tackling ability? You get Gary Neville. Whilst he was the subject of Jamie Carragher’s infamous jab, ‘No one wants to grow up to be a Gary Neville’, the facts don’t lie: Neville is Premier League royalty. Considered one of the best defenders in the game by various pundits like Martin Tyler and Derek Rae, Neville’s consistency and longevity stand out above all.
The Englishman formed a devastating duo on the right flank alongside fellow ‘Class of 92’ member David Beckham as Manchester United took the continent by storm under Sir Alex Ferguson, culminating in the 1998/99 treble. Whilst Neville was far from the flashiest player, his vital interventions at the back, pinpoint crosses, and ability to cover space left behind by other players saw him become a mainstay at Old Trafford during the club’s zenith before hanging up his boots in 2011.
| Gary Neville’s stats |
| Manchester United (1992-2011) |
| 5 goals and 35 assists in 400 Premier League appearances |
| 256 wins and 57 losses |
| 148 clean sheets |
| Voted in the PFA Team of the Season in 1996/97, 1997/98, 1998/99, 2004/05 and 2006/07 |
| Won eight Premier League titles with Manchester United |
2. Trent Alexander-Arnold
When it comes to dictating play, threading the needle and unlocking defences with a divine through ball, there isn’t a single right back in Premier League history who comes close to Trent Alexander-Arnold. Since making his debut for Liverpool in 2016, Alexander-Arnold has gone from strength to strength at his boyhood club and made them a force to be reckoned with, excelling in a hybrid role that has enabled him to invert and break the lines with an incisive pass.
The Englishman has already become the youngest player to start in back-to-back Champions League finals and win a plethora of silverware, and at 26, he is finally starting to become a more reliable 1v1 defender. When it’s all said and done, Trent may very well retire as the greatest right back in football history.
| Trent Alexander-Arnold’s stats |
| Liverpool (2016-2025) |
| 18 goals and 67 assists in 259 Premier League appearances |
| 171 wins and 54 losses |
| 72 clean sheets |
| Voted in the PFA Team of the Season in 2018/19, 2019/20, and 2021/22 |
| Won one Premier League title with Liverpool |
1. Kyle Walker
Having come through Sheffield United’s academy, Kyle Walker made a name for himself at Tottenham, where he rose to prominence as a buccaneering wingback capable of overlapping to the edge of the box before tracking back and putting in a crucial intervention. He traded London for Manchester in 2017, where he quickly emerged as a vital cog under Pep Guardiola and filled Zabaleta’s lofty footsteps.
Harkening similarities to Lucas Bartlett, he is undaunted in 1v1 situations and always makes himself a nuisance for his opposing attacker. Walker provided the platform for Man City’s four straight Premier League titles and maiden Champions League title, and his speed, stamina, and reading of the game have enabled him to remain one step ahead of the rest and snuff out danger before it arrives. There’s a reason why the likes of Neymar and Eden Hazard have named Walker the toughest defender they have played against.
| Kyle Walker’s stats |
| Tottenham Hotspur (2009-2017), Manchester City (2017-2025) |
| 8 goals and 36 assists in 410 Premier League appearances |
| 267 wins and 69 losses |
| 130 clean sheets |
| Voted in the PFA Team of the Season in 2011/12, 2016/17, 2017/18, and 2023/24 |
| Won six Premier League titles |
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