Ranking the 5 best defenders above the age of 33 in world football right now
The fame and personal glory in football leans towards goal scorers by a significant margin. Spectators derive most entertainment in a football match from the goals they witness and there is nothing wrong with that. After all, there is only so far you can go with a 0-0 draw.
However, the same narrative plays out in many different scenarios where goal scorers continue to be put on a higher pedestal even when the criteria of comparison remain diverse.
Take, for instance, defying age. Every now and then headlines mention the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Zlatan Ibrahimovic as athletes who make age look like just another number.
But that's because they score goals and goals get you in the limelight. It's fair to say that defenders do not get their fair share of credit when they put in dominating performances despite aging. S
Some of them have been the backbone of various rearguards whenever they have featured and consistently performed.
Here are the five best defenders above the age of 33 in world football right now:
#5 Gerard Pique
Gerard Pique is Barcelona through and through, and he's still going strong at the Catalan club after 581 appearances. The age has started to show its signs as in the past two years, the 34-year old has been injured on a few occasions. This season he's had problems with calf and and a muscle injury too.
Despite that, Pique has started 15 games for Barcelona out of 18 in all competitions this season. The veteran defender scored a stunning volley in the Champions League game against Dynamo Kyiv to give the club their first win of the ongoing European campaign.
ππππππ! @3gerardpique scored his 16th career @ChampionsLeague goal in #BarΓ§aDynamo, tying him with Roberto Carlos for most all-time among defenders! πππ https://t.co/4lbTOBCbpB
The Spanish defender's presence at the club has been important for young assets like Eric Garcia and Ronald Araujo who deputize for the centre-back position with Pique. In fact, he helped his beloved club by sacrificing a significant chunk of his wages so they could bring in Memphis Depay and Garcia in the summer.
The Barcelona defender has expressed his desire to retire at the Catalan club. In fact, he's not planning to overstay his welcome and when he feels the club do not want to play him regularly, he'll call time on his career.
#4 Leonardo Bonucci
If you replace Cristiano Ronaldo on penalty duty after his departure from your club, that says something about you. If you are a defender taking penalties, well bravo! Leonardo Bonnuci has a perfect record from the penalty spot this season, having scored all three of his crucial penalties in Serie A.
The Italian has helped his team stay in high spirits and motivated in what has been a very disappointing campaign by Juventus' standards. He has been a regular threat in the air on set-pieces and has defended them equally well. The defender's display at Euro 2020 earned him a nomination on the 30-man Ballon d'Or shortlist as well.
A Leonardo Bonucci brace secures a 2οΈβ£-0οΈβ£ away win for Juventus over Lazio. β«
#Lazio #Juve #Juventus #SerieA https://t.co/o3zluy6hkM
It's fair to say that he has aged well and it's commendable that at 34, he's keeping himself away from all kinds of injuries. Bonucci has blocked the most shots for Juventus in Serie A this season and has also made more interceptions (22) than any other team-mate.