Football has changed significantly over the past decade but one of the biggest shifts has come in the full-back department.
No longer can right-backs and left-backs stand twiddling their thumbs on the halfway line, frantically retreating as soon as their side cede possession. Instead, they must be marauders and pass masters, chipping in with goals and assists alongside their stringent defensive duties.
Evidence of these modern full-backs is rife in the Premier League as England opens its doors to continental philosophies.
But there is something to be said for the old-school full-back, too. Hard as nails and the least athletic player on the pitch, wrestling with wingers and immediately shifting the ball to a more talented teammate.
Here are the best right-backs of the Premier League era, both retro and contemporary.
Petrescu was a 95-cap Romania international / Mike Hewitt/GettyImages
Coleman was a bargain addition for Everton / Visionhaus/GettyImages
Trippier has been a consistent figure in the Premier League / Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA/GettyImages
O’Shea was a versatile option / Gallo Images/GettyImages
Ferreira was one of Jose Mourinho’s Portuguese imports / Richard Sellers/Allstar/GettyImages
Valencia moved from the wing to right-back / Christopher Lee/GettyImages
Brown was another versatile Man Utd defender / Michael Steele/GettyImages
Cancelo was magical over several seasons / OLI SCARFF/GettyImages
A one-club man / Laurence Griffiths/GettyImages
Carr was a consistent provider / Clive Mason/GettyImages
Finnan was a regular for Liverpool in the noughties / Richard Sellers/Allstar/GettyImages
One of Arsene Wenger’s excellent Frenchmen / Mike Hewitt/GettyImages
Azpilicueta was a leader for the Blues / Power Sport Images/GettyImages
Lauren was a key cog in a defiant Arsenal team / Richard Sellers/Allstar/GettyImages
Ivanovic was a regular goalscorer from right-back / Paul Gilham/GettyImages
Zabaleta was key to Man City’s rise / Alex Livesey/GettyImages
Dixon was an underappreciated full-back for Arsenal / Ben Radford/GettyImages
Alexander-Arnold has changed the role of a right-back / Julian Finney/GettyImages
Neville won the lot with Man Utd / Richard Sellers/Allstar/GettyImages
Walker is a serial winner / Ben Roberts Photo/GettyImages
READ MORE ON THE BEST 25 PLAYERS FOR EVERY POSITION IN WORLD FOOTBALL
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