Who are the top 5 PL centre backs of all time? Ladyman's picks: Terry, Vidic...

Ian Ladyman has revealed his top five Premier League centre backs of all time on Mail Sport's podcast It's All Kicking Off - with John Terry coming out in first place.

Virgil van Dijk's error during Liverpool's 3-1 defeat by Arsenal has seemingly sparked a fierce debate over how several defensive superstars should be ranked, with Manchester United supporters fighting Nemanja Vidic and Rio Ferdinand's corner.

Both giants have indeed made Ladyman's cut, albeit on opposite ends of the group, as have one Manchester City Premier League winner and a true Chelsea legend.

Speaking on the latest edition of the podcast, Ladyman delivered his selections in ascending order, starting with fifth first and working his way up to the winner.

'I'm gonna go Vincent Kompany, Nemanja Vidic, Virgil van Dijk, Rio Ferdinand and No 1, John Terry,' Ladyman told Chris Sutton. 'They are my five.'

Quizzed on why Terry has been placed at the top, Ladyman responded: 'Simply because, what do I want from a centre half? I want reliability. I want leadership.

'And, as a third, I also want somebody who can pass the ball in a straight line.

'He couldn't pass the ball as well as Rio Ferdinand, but if I wanted someone to defend for my life in the last five minutes of a cup final, I'd want John Terry there.

'Simply because he would do the nuts and bolts of the job. He did it, he had longevity, and he was a winner. He was a winner.

'I haven't looked up exactly how many trophies he's got, but he won, OK? We know he had bad moments, we're not going to remind him of Moscow and the penalty and everything, although now I have. But I just think for reliability, it was him.'

Intriguingly, Van Dijk would have topped Ladyman's rankings two seasons ago.

'In terms of ability I