John Terry vs Virgil van Dijk vs Rio Ferdinand: Who is the best centre-back in Premier League history?

Do you want to know just how good Premier League-level defenders are?

Imagine you're down at Goals or Power League with your mates. Imagine the most technical, flair player there. Oh, how you'd love to dribble and dance like they could. How you'd want to be able to score from anywhere on those astro-turf pitches. How you're praying this is the week where those little black plastic bits haven't made their way into your socks and boots.

A professional defender is better than all of you, pal. One million times over. Prime John O'Shea would be pulling out step-overs. Washed Michael Dawson would be sending you for a hot dog. They'd sit you on your backside whether you're on the ball or off it.

Just imagine, then, how good John Terry, Rio Ferdinand would be at five-a-side. Fortunately for them, they made it as pro players and have among the greatest legacies in Premier League history, so you don't need to worry about them making a fool out of you.

Who was better, though? has put together a very effective formula to decide...

Right, let's get the big one out of the way, then.

Few people in the history of mankind have loved the lost art of defending more than Terry. Few people would blindly run into a brick wall without even being asked to more than Terry. Few people would choose to dive head-first into a block more than Terry.

Between 2004 and 2009, the ex-Chelsea captain made his way into five successive FIFPro World XIs, the UEFA Team of the Year four times and won three UEFA Club Defender of the Year awards. His dominance was down to his defending.

This was probably the category to choose between. Terry's passing range was an underrated feature of his game and it's a massive facet of Van Dijk's.

In splitting hairs, Ferdinand seals