Centre Back Quotes

For me, Thiago Silva remains the best defender in the world.

I prefer playing up front, really, because I feel like if I make the right run, or if I get the ball at the right time, I can just be one-on-one with the defender, and then if I manage to get past the centre-back, it's one-on-one with the 'keeper.

It's not easy to replace the best centre-back in the world.

As a young centre-back at Ajax, I played with Wim Jansen, and of course you learn a huge amount. I made some mistakes, because we Dutchmen want to solve situations by playing football. So we look at the ball, try to judge where it will come.

If we become world champions it may open the door to the Fifa Ballon d'Or, although I think it would be difficult. Every 10 years a centre-back may win it once.

I know if I'm playing centre-back, there are certain places where you don't give your full-back the ball - because I've been the full-back!

I played behind Phil Thompson and Alan Hansen, and they were both brilliant centre-halves.

Martin Skrtel is good at rattling the opposing centre-forward.

Barcelona need somebody at the back who can defend and has that passion the fans love.

Centre-back takes more out of you mentally than physically.

The AZ captain Teun Koopmeiners, a left-footed centre back who can sit in midfield, is probably the best player in Holland in defensive areas.

There are many good players in England who are very good in the air. When you're up against Nemanja Vidic or Vincent Kompany, it's a real challenge.

I know when I step into midfield I have to sharpen my feet up and be more aware of what's around me, at centre back it's more about timing, positioning and communication.

I will have to play as a goalkeeper and sometimes like a centre-back and play with my feet. I like that system and I feel comfortable in it.

Keeping up your concentration is one of the hardest tasks when you're a centre-back because a team like Bayern tend to dominate and can give you sense of false security.

I started out as a defender. I played as a full-back, and then I moved into the centre. I played defence right the way through until the Under-18s. Honestly!

It's good that I can play in two positions, as a centre-back or as a holding midfielder, as I just want to get minutes and get games.

I think it's a natural progression: a lot of centre-backs start wide when they're young and move inside.

I think I'm more than capable of playing in positions such as right-back, centre-back and centre-mid.

If you are making mistakes at centre-back then inevitably that results in an effort on your goal and your goalkeeper has to make a save.

At seven, I played centre-back. When you're so young, though, it's more to enjoy the training and to get a feel for the game. It's not heavy on tactics of a position. We were playing on a half pitch, seven against seven or eight against eight, so they say you're a centre-back, but it's not like the real definition.

I enjoy those physical battles and I've been on record saying Virgil van Dijk is the best defender in the world.

As a young player, I played up front, on the wing, in midfield, and when I started in the reserves at Standard Liege, I played centre back.

I'm a defender first and foremost, and if I'm playing right centre-half, I am even more of a defender than the wing-backs.

One thing was crystal clear to me: if you're centre-back, you first of all have to perform your task.