10 Centre-Backs Danny Murphy Has Obviously Never Seen Play

Right, let's get one thing straight. Virgil van Dijk is a fantastic defender. There's a good chance he's the best defender playing the game right now.

But is he good enough for Danny Murphy to sit on BBC's Match of the Day 2 and say with the most infatuated tone of voice that the Liverpool defender is the best centre-back he has ever seen play? Come off it.

Unless the universe was created in 2018, I'm not so sure. There are a few guys who might have something to say about that. Here are 10...

1. Nemanja Vidić

Career: 2000-2016
Danny Murphy's Age During Career: 23-39
Should He Remember Him? He will do if he checks Twitter's Trending page.

It's a good job Twitter have got some powerful servers. The amount of fans who hopped online to... politely educate Murphy about Vidić's successful career could have overloaded the site.

After all, he became the third player after Thierry Henry and Cristiano Ronaldo to win the Premier League's Player of the Season award. If you're part of that gang, you're probably pretty decent at the ol' football.

2. Rio Ferdinand

Career: 1995-2015
Danny Murphy's Age During Career: 18-38
Should He Remember Him? Just the four appearances together.

I don't know about you, but I'd say Rio Ferdinand is one of the GOATs, and I didn't need to spend a year playing alongside him with England to say that.

The man won six Premier League titles with Manchester United. If Van Dijk adds five more, we can talk.

3. John Terry

Career: 1998-2018
Danny Murphy's Age During Career: 21-41
Should He Remember Him? He played alongside him twice.

2003 must have been a dark year for Murphy as he's seemingly erased it from his memory. How else would you forget playing alongside John Terry?

Clearly five Premier League titles and a spot in the PFA Team of the Century isn't enough to convince Murphy.

4. Carles Puyol

Career: 1999-2014
Danny Murphy's Age During Career: 22-37
Should He Remember Him? You just know he does.

Are you telling me that Danny Murphy watched Carles Puyol strut his stuff for Barcelona for 15 years and still has the guts to claim that Van Dijk is a better player?

Van Dijk hasn't won six La Liga titles. Van Dijk hasn't won three Champions League titles. Van Dijk hasn't even won 100 caps for Spain! Pathetic.

5. Alessandro Nesta

Career: 1993-2015
Danny Murphy's Age During Career: 16-38
Should He Remember Him? Duh.

During the prime of Murphy's career, Alessandro Nesta's AC Milan side were on top of the world. They won the Champions League twice and added a couple of Serie A titles for good measure.

I know it's often hard to remember that there was another team playing in Istanbul in 2005, but that doesn't mean you can just wipe them from the history books.

6. Franco Baresi

Career: 1977-1997
Danny Murphy's Age During Career: 0-20
Should He Remember Him? We've all got YouTube.

Picture the scene. A five-year-old Danny Murphy sits in front of his TV for the 1982 World Cup final. He sees Franco Baresi playing for Italy, throws his Micro Machines at the screen and screams 'fraud!'.

Murphy probably didn't catch much of Baresi's playing career, but that's alright. That's what we have the internet for!

7. Bobby Moore

Career: 1958-1983
Danny Murphy's Age During Career: Mostly not born
Should He Remember Him? Engerlaaaaand

Bobby Moore left Fulham in 1977, the year Murphy was born. Coincidence?

8. Franz Beckenbauer

Career: 1964-1983
Danny Murphy's Age During Career: 0-6
Should He Remember Him? Probably not

Are you telling me Danny Murphy wasn't impressed with a 39-year-old Beckenbauer's time with New York Cosmos?

The legendary German's international career actually came to an end in 1977, the same year Murphy was born. Surely he was watching Beckenbauer strut his stuff while he was still in the womb? Fake fan.

9. Billy Wright

Career: 1939-1959
Danny Murphy's Age During Career: N/A
Should He Remember Him? No comment.

What were you doing 38 years before you were born? Watching Billy Wright? Exactly!

10. Gary Wackett

Career: 2001
Danny Murphy's Age During Career: 24
Should He Remember Him? If he has any taste in movies.

Let's f*****g kill them!

Bet Van Dijk's never punched a hole in the wall like that.

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