As John Terry calls time on his Chelsea career, we ask: Who is the greatest Premier League defender of all time?
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John Terry has been hailed as the greatest Premier League defender of all time after announcing he will leave Chelsea at the end of the campaign.
The ex-England centre-back has enjoyed an illustrious career for club and country, and he departs Stamford Bridge as a Blues legend.
Former teammate Frank Lampard reckons his pal is the best defender in recent times, but is the 36-year-old really head and shoulders above the rest?
Our reporters give their top pick since the Premier League launched back in 1992.
Hamish Mackay - Ashley Cole
The Premier League has seen some truly exceptional defenders — Tony Adams, Sol Campbell, Rio Ferdinand, John Terry — but none with the natural ability of Ashley Cole.
He was the complete defender: a talented athlete genuinely as comfortable attacking down the wing as he was making perfectly-timed last-ditch tackles.
For almost ten years, Cole wasn't just the best full-back in the country, he was the best full-back in the world.
He won two league titles (one without losing a game) and three FA Cups in a free-flowing Arsenal team before moving across London to Chelsea and proving he could thrive in a completely different tactical system. He added another league title and five domestic cups to his tally before tasting success in both the Champions League and Europa League.
Cole can also claim to be the only member of England's 'golden generation' that performed consistently on the international stage. No matter how poor the Three Lions were, Cole always shone.
Having won all there was to win, Cole's motivation dipped in his later career and he left England for Serie A, but he left behind him a record and reputation that marks him out as the Premier League's greatest all round defender.
(Photo: Press Association)
Jacob Murtagh - Rio Ferdinand
John Stones has earned rave reviews for the way he plays the ball from the back - a requirement for any defender hoping to make the grade in the current era.
However, Rio Ferdinand was passing out of defence at a time when others were earning plaudits for their no-nonsense style and sticking their head in where it hurts.
Ferdinand was ahead of his time and would not have looked out of place in any of the top sides around Europe.
Manchester United made Ferdinand the most expensive defender in history when they splashed out £30million for his services back in 2002.
He was worth every penny and enjoyed a trophy-laden spell at Old Trafford.
(Photo: Matthew Peters)
Richard Innes - John Terry
Try, just for a moment, to forget what you THINK you know about John Terry as a man.
Set aside all the rumours, the nonsense and the villainous reputation that Chelsea's "Captain, Leader, Legend" has garnered over the years… and NOW try and tell me Terry is not the finest defender the Premier League has ever seen.
Rightly or wrong, on these shores, opinions of the former England skipper have never been based purely on his on-pitch performances.
He has made the PFA Team of the Year four times, yet he was part of the FIFA World XI for five straight years in the 2000s.
Away from the British tittle tattle, all the experts saw was a top class defender who loved the very essence of defending.
Aside from a very obvious lack of pace, Terry at his peak had everything . His heart, desire and stomach for the fight was always immediately apparent, but he could pass - off both feet - and his reading of the game was so exceptional, the fact milk occasionally tuned quicker simply didn't matter.
I sincerely doubt any other defender has more regularly taken up the perfect near post position to cut out a cross.
Throw in the leadership qualities that saw him become the heartbeat and personification of Mourinho's first Chelsea team - one of the Premier League's greatest ever sides - and why WOULDN'T you call him the competition's best ever defender?
Freddie Harding - Sol Campbell
He won't be a popular choice amongst Spurs fans, but after playing in a number of positions throughout his early career, Campbell developed into one of the most solid centre-backs England has ever seen.
At his best he was impossible to get past for even the most skilled strikers, had immense power in the air, and wasn't bad with his feet either.
Add to that his knack for scoring vital goals at international and club level, and you get the Premier League's best ever defender.
Best not to mention the time he went home at half-time after being flattened by Bobby Zamora though.
(Photo: Getty)
Joe Mewis - Lucas Radebe
While Lucas Radebe would not be the first name on most people's lips in this debate, it's no exaggeration to say that the Leeds United centre-back was one of the classiest defenders to turn out in the Premier League.
The South African arrived at Elland Road for £250,000 in 1994, just three years after he was almost paralysed when he was shot in the back in his hometown of Soweto.
He would go on to become a key part of David O'Leary's exciting young side which lived the dream and ultimately go down in flames, famously turning down Manchester United's advances during that time.
The man they called 'The Chief' oozed composure, read the game superbly and (when fit) boasted supreme athleticism. He also worked tirelessly for charity, with no-less than Nelson Mandela saying that Radebe was 'my hero'. You'll do for me.
(Photo: Getty Images Europe)
Charlie Kenward - Tony Adams
Former Arsenal player and legend Adams is in my opinion the greatest Premier League defender due to his no-nonsense attitude.
He may not have been the most technically gifted on the ball but his impeccable reading of the game was second to none.
Adams captained his team to two double-winning seasons proving he is one of the greatest in the world.
(Photo: PA)
Mick Gadd - Jamie Carragher
Carragher’s value doesn’t come from any element of football that would go close to being worthy of a headline or a movie - maybe a tweet if you're feeling generous. But the numbers don’t lie when measuring reliability and longevity.
In the rankings for players with the most Premier League appearances Carra is eighth with 508, more than any other defender, and he was the ring leader for an incredible 195 clean sheets.
When there was pointing, shouting or last-ditch desperation to be done, Carra was the undisputed man for Liverpool.
(Photo: Daily Mirror)
Jack Rathborn - Ricardo Carvalho
The Portuguese had everything a top centre-back requires in the modern game and while he does not have the longevity of fellow greats such as John Terry or Rio Ferdinand, his peak years in the Premier League were as high as any.
Excellent on the ball, pace and agility to recover, outstanding positioning and a master of the dark arts whenever marking an opponent tightly - Carvalho had the lot.
After following Jose Mourinho to Stamford Bridge from Porto for £19.85m in 2004, Carvalho was a pivotal part to the Blues side that won back-to-back titles, and he hung around for a third under Carlo Ancelotti.
Of any defenders with at least 100 Premier League appearances, it is Carvalho with the highest win rate in the league's history at 48.9 percent.
Quite simply Carvalho was a marvellous footballer who could mix it when it got tough and would have shone under any manager, system or style of play.
(Photo: Getty)
Tom Bristow - Nemanja Vidic
"He comes from Serbia, he'll f****** murder ya'" is the chant that still rings round Old Trafford to this day, such was the centre-back's incredible mixture of talent and strength.
The Serbian spent nine seasons at Manchester United, winning five Premier League titles, one Champions League and three League Cups.
He was also named Premier League Player of the Season twice and made Premier League's Team of the Season four times. He was powerful in the air, a rock at the back and alongside Rio Ferdinand, United boasted one of the best centre-back pairings of all time.
As with all superheroes there comes a weakness. Vidic's kryptonite may have been Fernando Torres, but with the big Serb in defence the Red Devils enjoyed one of their most trophy-laden periods of all time.