On paper the number 4 jersey is one of the less iconic to pull on when a player steps foot onto a soccer field, however, over the years it has been donned by some of the finest players to have ever graced the game.
The number 4 jersey is usually worn by defenders or defensive-minded midfielders and as such, they make up today’s list of the 7 Best Number 4 Players of All Time.
7. Cesc Fabregas
- Country: Spain
- Position: Central Midfield
| Games | Goals | Assists |
|---|---|---|
| 723 | 125 | 215 |
First up on our list is a player that came out of the famous La Masia academy in Barcelona, Cesc Fabregas was one of the finest midfielders to have ever played the game.
During this period he trained alongside Spanish legends such as Xavi and Iniesta, players he would later play with in the Spanish national team.
At the age of 16, Fabregas made the move to England and to Arsenal where he was groomed to replace the departing Patrick Viera in the core of the team.
The Spaniard took to this role immediately and became one of the best midfielders that the club has ever had, making over 200 appearances in an 8-year spell in North London.
Known for his range of silky passes and exquisite long balls, Fabregas would return to Barcelona and play with the men he trained with as a child for three years.
Chelsea would then come knocking and Fabregas could not refuse a return to the Premier League, he would re-establish himself as one of the League’s top players before leaving for Monaco in 2019.
Fabregas currently plays for Como in the Italian Serie B as he nears retirement.
6. Vincent Kompany
- Country: Belgium
- Position: Centre-Back
| Games | Goals | Assists |
|---|---|---|
| 533 | 31 | 21 |
The man known to Manchester City fans around the world as ‘Captain Fantastic’ takes the 6th spot on our list.
Kompany began his career in his native Belgium with Brussels-based club Anderlecht, spending three years with the team before moving across to Germany and Hamburger SV.
Once Manchester City has been bought out by their current wealthy owners, they set their sights on assembling a team that could deliver some overdue success to the blue side of Manchester.
Kompany was purchased in 2008 and made his debut almost immediately, starring in a 3-0 over West Ham United.
The Belgian captain would go on to spend the majority of his career in England, being part of the most successful Manchester City squad in the clubs history, this included four Premier League titles and two FA Cups.
Kompany would later move to back to Anderlecht in 2019 and retired at the club, he is now serving as manager of Burnley in the EFL Championship.
5. Claudio Gentile
Embed from Getty Images- Country: Italy
- Position: Centre-Back
| Games | Goals | Assists |
|---|---|---|
| 566 | 12 | 7 |
In 5th place is a player that cannot be truly claimed as number 4, however, due to the amount of numbers he donned over years, he can be associated with it just as much as any other number.
Claudio Gentile was one of the best defenders and holding midfielders of the 1970s and 80s, starring for a variety of top Italian teams throughout his career.
Gentile was mainly known for being a tough tackler that was never afraid to put in a challenge, he was also relatively quick though, and was able to plow through opposition defenses to provide passes to the forwards.
Despite starting his career with Arona and Varense, it is with the great Juventus that Gentile is best remembered.
The Italian spent 11 years with the ‘Bianconeri’ and formed part of one of the strongest defensive setups the world has ever seen, players such as Dino Zoff, Sergio Brio, Gaetano Scirea, and Antonio Cabrini all features alongside Gentile for the club.
4. Fernando Hierro
- Country: Spain
- Position: Centre-Back
| Games | Goals | Assists |
|---|---|---|
| 694 | 130 | 17 |
In 4th place is a defender that actually had a talent for finding the back of the net. Fernando Hierro had an illustrious youth career before eventually joining Real Valladolid in 1986, where he would only remain for three seasons (playing for the reserves for a year too).
Eventually, his skill was noticed by Real Madrid, and ‘Los Blancos’ picked up Hierro in 1989 and he was handed the number 4 jersey along with it.
The Spaniard was one of the most versatile defensive players in the world during his prime years and could be deployed as either a central defender or holding midfielder as was fit.
Hierro became known for his wide range of passes and calmness on the ball, giving him the ability to break up attacks and set his team on their own forays forward.
During his time in Madrid, Hierro bagged himself over 100 goals which is a stat simply unheard of for a central defender.
3. Patrick Viera
- Country: France
- Position: Defensive Midfield
| Games | Goals | Assists |
|---|---|---|
| 643 | 55 | 71 |
As the podium places arrive, we have a France and Arsenal legend in the 3rd place spot. Patrick Viera was an excellent central midfielder that was renowned for his tenacity and often quite a furious temperament (as well as his feud with Manchester United man Roy Keane).
The Frenchman is considered the greatest number four to have played in the Premier League and spent nine years with the North London-based team.
Before this move, Viera spent time with both Cannes and AC Milan. Once in London though, his strength and power made him the ultimate midfielder and he could also be used in a variety of roles for his team.
Viera was also widely known for his tactical knowledge which was levels above some of the best players in the world. This ability has given him the platform to build a thus far successful managerial career, with him currently taking charge of a rejuvenated Crystal Palace team.
2. Ronald Koeman
- Country: Netherlands
- Position: Centre-Back / Defensive Midfielder
| Games | Goals | Assists |
|---|---|---|
| 646 | 224 | 73 |
A tough choice, but in 2nd place on our list is Dutch dynamo Ronald Koeman. Some of you reading this may not be aware that the former Barcelona, Southampton, and Netherlands manager had enjoyed a stellar playing career before moving into management. However, he was one of the best number 4’s the game had ever seen before his career change.
Koeman began his career in his native Netherlands, where he would remain for many years as he appeared for Groningen, Ajax, and PSV Eindhoven. Eventually, Koeman would be picked up by Barcelona though, as legendary manager Johan Cruyff wanted him to be a part of his world-beating‘ dream team’.
In his 6 years at the Nou Camp, Koeman helped Barcelona win four La Liga titles as well as the European Cup in 1992. In this game, Koeman managed to score a fantastic free kick to hand the Catalan giants a 1-0 victory and the trophy as a result.
1. Sergio Ramos
- Country: Spain
- Position: Centre-Back
| Games | Goals | Assists |
|---|---|---|
| 736 | 107 | 39 |
As some of you may come to have expected, 1st place and therefore the best number 4 player of all time is, of course, Sergio Ramos. Like his countryman Hierro that featured earlier in this piece, Ramos is an excellent goalscoring defender that has an attitude to reinforce it.
Despite his often frowned upon disciplinary record (he is the most yellow and red carded player ever), his ability as a defender was unmatched for years.
Ramos joined Real Madrid in 2005 after a short time at Sevilla, where he spent much of his youth career. It was in Madrid that the future Spanish captain and World Cup winner would make the number 4 jersey his own though, with him spending 16 years with Real Madrid and winning an incredible 22 trophies during his time there.
Eventually, though it became apparent that it was time to move on and with the new money of Paris Saint-Germain calling, Ramos decided to make the move to France in an attempt to bring the club their first UEFA Champions League title. So far Ramos has made 16 appearances and scored twice for PSG.
