The right back role has undergone quite the transformation in recent years. A typically unfashionable position on the pitch, the man chosen to guard the right side of defence has often been ridiculed as unambitious, untalented, or simply the best at doing the least important job in football.
Famously, former Liverpool defender and renowned Premier League pundit Jamie Carragher even cracked the joke that a full back is either a “failed winger or a failed centre-back”while “no one wants to grow up and be a Gary Neville” (more on the Manchester United man later).
These guys, however, broke the mould. Some of the greatest players to step foot on a football field all hugged the right touchline, guarding their goalkeeper with their lives, as they did the dirty work that no one else could manage.
Here, take a look at the best right backs to have ever played the beautiful game, inspiring generations to follow in their untrendy footsteps.
