- John Terry
John George Terry (born December 7, 1980 in Barking, London) is an English professional football player. Terry plays as a centre back and is the captain of both Chelsea in the English Premier League and the national football team of England. Terry is regarded as one of the best defenders in the world. He was voted best defender in the 2005 UEFA Champions League, PFA Players' Player of the Year in 2005, and was included in the FIFPro World XI for 2005 and 2006.
- Tal ben Haim
Tal Ben Haim (born March 31, 1982 in Rishon LeZion, Israel) is an Israeli professional football player. Ben Haim plays both centre back and right back, and is currently contracted to Chelsea in the Barclays Premier League and is a member of the Israel national football team.
- Alessandro Nesta
Alessandro Nesta, Cavaliere Ufficiale OMRI, (born March 19, 1976 in Rome) is an Italian World Cup-winning footballer. He plays centre back for AC Milan in Serie A and also in the Italian National Team. Having previously played for S.S. Lazio, Nesta transferred to A.C. Milan from Lazio in 2002 for approximately €30 million paid over three years, after being valued at over £50 million by Lazio a year earlier.
- Dorin Goian
Dorin Nicolae Goian, (born December 12, 1980 in Suceava), is a Romanian football (soccer) centre back.
- Walter Samuel
Walter Adrián Samuel (born March 22, 1978 in Laborde, Córdoba Province) is an Argentine football (soccer) player, who currently plays for Internazionale of the Italian league. Samuel started playing professionally in 1996 in Argentina for Newell's Old Boys, and a year later moved to Boca Juniors where he stayed until 2000. In that year AS Roma bought his contract for €19.8m. He gained notoriety as one of the best defense players of the Italian league, …
- Darren Powell
Darren David Powell is an English footballer who currently plays for Southampton. He is a centre back. Darren Powell began his career with Hampton & Richmond Borough before moving to Brentford where he spent four years. In August 2002 he signed for Crystal Palace for £400k and initially became an integral part of the team, scoring in the dying seconds of Palace's Play-off Semi-Final Second Leg game, at Sunderland taking the score on the night to a 2-1 defeat, …
- Carlos Marchena
Carlos Marchena López, popularly known as Marchena born 31 July 1979 in Seville is a Spanish footballer who currently plays centre back for Valencia CF and the Spain. He is a regular first-team choice for both squads. He has been capped 27 times for his country as of 2006. He started his professional career in Sevilla FC by the age of 18 when at that time, the club was still playing in the "Segunda Division".
- David Edgar
David Edward Edgar is a Canadian football player. He currently plays for English club, Newcastle United, as a centre back. He is also a member of the Canada Under 20 team.
- Ian Murray
Ian William Murray (born 20 March 1981, in Edinburgh) is a professional Scottish footballer currently playing for Rangers in the Scottish Premier League. His versatility has seen him deployed in a variety of roles in his career, without really establishing a recognised position. He can play centre back, left back, right back, defensive midfielder and even as a striker. He is often used for his good man-marking skills.
- Ronny Johnsen
Ronny Johnsen is a Norwegian football player. Johnsen plays as a centre back or central midfielder, but has often been sidelined because of his many injuries. He was purchased by Manchester United from Beşiktaş of Turkey in 1996. While at United, he helped the club to 4 league titles (1997, 1999, 2000, and 2001), and one FA Cup in 1999. He also contributed enormously to United's UEFA Champions League win in 1999, …
- Alex Pearce
Alex Pearce (born 9 November 1988 in Oxford, England) is a professional footballer with Reading, and plays in the centre back position. Pearce attended The Oratory School in Woodcote until Sixth Form, when he dedicated his time towards attending Reading's youth academy. He signed a professional contract with Reading on 23 October 2006, keeping him at the Club until the summer of 2009, …
- Lee Wilkie
Lee Wilkie (born April 20, 1980 in Dundee) is a Scottish footballer who currently plays for Scottish Premier League side Dundee United. His usual position is centre back.
- Adrian Leijer
Adrian Leijer (born March 25, 1986) is an Australian football (soccer) player who currently plays as a centre back for the Melbourne Victory in the Hyundai A-League.
- Rafael Márquez
Rafael Márquez Álvarez, better known as Rafa Márquez is an international Mexican football player, specializing as both a centre back and defensive midfielder, who is currently playing for FC Barcelona in the Spanish La Liga and for the Mexican national team as their team captain.
- Steve Elliott
Steve 'Stevie' Elliott (born 29 October 1978 in Derby) is an English professional football player. He currently plays as a centre back for Bristol Rovers.
- Daniel Passarella
Daniel Alberto Passarella (born May 25, 1953 in Chacabuco, Buenos Aires province) is a former Argentine football centre back and former manager of the Argentine and Uruguayan national football teams.
- Scott Cuthbert
Scott Cuthbert (born 15 June 1987 in Alexandria, Scotland) is a Scottish professional footballer currently playing for Scottish Premier League club Celtic. He has not yet made his first team debut for the team but is a regular in both the Celtic reserves and the Scotland Under-21 national team. He can play right back or centre back. Scott is curentley on loan to Livingston since 15th December 2006.
- David Navarro
David Navarro Pedrós (born May 25 1980 in Valencia) is a Spanish football player who currently plays centre back for Racing on loan from Valencia CF, the only club in his career so far. Navarro was involved in a on-pitch brawl that occurred during a Champions League tie between Valencia and Inter Milan on March 6, 2007. Navarro, who had spent the match on the bench as an unused substitute, …
- Steve Morrow
Stephen Joseph "Steve" Morrow (born July 2, 1970 in Belfast) is a Northern Ireland former football player. He is currently the head coach of FC Dallas in the United States' Major League Soccer. Morrow first played for Bangor as youth, before joining London club Arsenal in July 1987. A versatile utility man, who could play at full back, centre back or midfield, Morrow had loan spells at Reading, Watford and Barnet, …
- Rahman Rezaei
Rahman Rezaei (born February 20, 1975 in Isfahan, Iran) is an Iranian football player who plays for A.S. Livorno in the Serie A and the Iran national football team. He usually plays in the centre back position.
- Greg Shields
Greg Shields (born 21 August 1976 in Falkirk) is a Scottish professional footballer currently playing for Scottish Premier League club Dunfermline Athletic. Shieds's previous clubs are Rangers, Charlton Athletic, Walsall and Kilmarnock. He is a defender who can play at centre back or right back. Shields started his career as a youth player with Rangers and made his debut in 1996 in UEFA Champions League tie against Ajax alongside current teammate Scott Wilson.
- Karl Dodd
Karl Dodd (born November 13, 1980 in Southport, Queensland, Australia) is an Australian football (soccer) player who plays as a centre back for Wellington Phoenix in the A-League. He played for the Brisbane Strikers before being recruited by the Queensland Roar for the revamped A-League competition. After half a season with the lowly ranked Queensland Roar he signed for Romanian club FC Universitatea Craiova in January 2006.
- Matt Carbon
Matt Carbon (born 8 June 1975, Nottingham) is a strong centre back, who last played for the New Zealand Knights in the Hyundai A-League in Australia. He has previously played in the English Premiership for Derby County and the English First Division for West Bromwich Albion and Walsall, alongside spells in lower divisions. Carbon started his career with Lincoln City in the lower English league, before signing for Derby County F.C. in 1996 in a £400,000 deal.
- Julien Escudé
Julien Escudé is a French footballer, currently playing for La Liga side Sevilla FC. His position is centre back. Escudé began his career at AS Cannes, where he appeared twenty-one times in his only season for the club, scoring one goal. His performances attracted other clubs and in 1999 he was signed for Stade Rennais FC by manager Paul Le Guen. He spent the next four seasons at Rennes, making one hundred and forty-two appearances without scoring.
- Ryan Bennett
Ryan Bennett (born March 6 1990, Orsett) is an English football player, who plays centre back or right back for Grimsby Town in the Football League Two. After being released by Ipswich Town as a youngster, he made the move north. Bennett made his debut against MK Dons F.C. in a 2-1 win on April 7 2007. He became the club's youngest ever captain aged 17 against Lincoln 21 days later when John McDermott passed him the armband after being substituted.
- Andy Linighan
Andrew "Andy" Linighan (born June 18, 1962) is a former English football player. Linighan was born in Hartlepool into a footballing family - his brothers David and Brian were also professional footballers. He first played for his local side, Hartlepool United, before spells at Leeds United (1984-1986), Oldham Athletic (1986-1988) and Norwich City (1988-1990). A tall, imposing centre back, Linighan became notable for his calm performances in defence for Norwich, …
- Phil Edwards
Phil Edwards (born November 8, 1985 in England) is a defender who is nominally a centre back but can play across the backline. He joined Wigan Athletic as a trainee in the summer of 2004 and played in one game for Morecambe F.C. during a month-long loan spell in September 2004. He moved to Accrington Stanley on a permanent basis in July 2006 after a successful loan spell a couple of months earlier.
- Bill Foulkes
William Anthony Foulkes (born January 5, 1932) was an English football player who played for Manchester United in the Busby Babes teams of the 1950s, and also in the 1960s. His favoured position was centre back. For Manchester United, he played 679 games, third to Sir Bobby Charlton and Ryan Giggs, he also made 3 appearances as a substitute. He also started in every single United game in the seasons 1957-58, 1959-60, 1963-64 and 1964-65.
- Josemi
José Miguel González Rey, more commonly known as Josemi is a Spanish football player who plays for Villarreal CF in La Liga. Josemi is predominantly a right back, but he also can play as a centre back. Josemi started his career at Málaga CF, before becoming Rafael Benítez's first signing as Liverpool manager for £2 million in the summer of 2004. He played in 14 first-team games in all competitions for Liverpool in the 2005-06 season.
- William Prunier
William Prunier (born August 14, 1967 in Montreuil, France) is a French footballer, who plays in the centre back position. A distinguished career in his native France saw spells at AJ Auxerre, Olympique Marseille and Girondins Bordeaux. He earned 1 cap for France in 1992. Towards the end of his career, Prunier had a fleeting and forgettable tenure at Manchester United.
- Michael Gravgaard
Michael Gravgaard (born April 3, 1978) is a Danish professional footballer, who is currently playing for F.C. Copenhagen. He normally plays the centre back position, but he can also play as a striker. He has played more than 10 games and scored five goals for the Danish national team.
- Willie Young
William David "Willie" Young is a Scottish former footballer. A large, physically intimidating centre back from Edinburgh, Young first played for Aberdeen, and made 187 appearances for the Dons between 1970 and 1975. He was signed by Tottenham Hotspur in September 1975, and made 54 appearances for Spurs in two seasons. In March 1977, Young signed for Spurs' arch-rivals Arsenal for £80,000. Young immediately became a regular in the Arsenal first team, …
- Charlie Hurley
Charles John Hurley (born 4 October 1936) was a centre back. He began his career at Millwall, but is best remembered from his time at Sunderland, where he was named the Black Cats' "Player of the Century" by their fans on the occasion of the club's centenary in 1979. Nicknamed 'The King', Hurley was a classy defender for both Sunderland and the Republic of Ireland. He ended his playing career at Bolton Wanderers and was later manager of Reading.
- Stewart Robson
Stewart Ian Robson (born November 6, 1964) is an English former football player. Born in Billericay, Essex. He was educated at Alleyn Court Prep School in Westcliff On Sea, and Brentwood School. He was also an outstanding cricketer. Robson joined Arsenal as a schoolboy in 1978. He made his debut soon after his 17th birthday, on December 5, 1981 against West Ham United, and quickly became a regular feature in the Arsenal side, as well as the England team.
- Djimi Traoré
Djimi Traoré is a French-born Malian football player, who can play as a left back or as a centre back. He currently plays for Portsmouth.
- Tamás Vaskó
Tamás Vaskó is a Hungarian footballer who currently plays as a centre back for Újpest FC.<br> Vaskó started to play football in smaller clubs and joined Vasas in 2000. A year later he started to play for Újpest FC, and he has been with the team ever since, except for a year he spent on loan with FC Tatabánya.<br><br> In 2006, despite his young age, he became the captain of Újpest FC.<br><br> His nickname is 'The White Rhino'. He is now on trial at Southampton F.C.
- Nicolás Burdisso
Nicolás Andrés Burdisso is an Argentine professional football centre back player currently playing for Internazionale of the Serie A. He started playing professionally for the Argentine team Boca Juniors in 1999. With Boca Juniors he won 2 Argentine Championships (2000 Apertura and 2003 Apertura), 3 Copa Libertadores (2000, 2001, 2003) and 2 Intercontinental Cups (2000, 2003). In 2004 he moved to Internazionale for € 3.5 million, signing a 4-year contract.
- Carlo Mazzone
Carlo "Carletto" Mazzone (born March 19, 1937 in Rome) is an Italian football manager. A former centre back who played several seasons for his beloved team, AS Roma, other than Spal and Ascoli, where he played for nine season, Mazzone left the playing career in season 1968-1969, to become the manager of Ascoli itself, in Serie C. Already popular because of his playing history for the team, Mazzone gained even more popularity by leading the team for twelve years, …
- Matthieu Delpierre
Matthieu Delpierre (born February 4, 1981 in Nancy, France) is a French professional football player. Delpierre plays as a centre back previously for Lille OSC and currently for VfB Stuttgart. He has represented France at the U-18, U-20 and under-21 levels, making appearances during the 2002 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship.
- David Castedo
David Castedo Escudero akas David Castedo (born January 23, 1974 in Palma de Mallorca, Spain) is a Spanish football player, who played most of his career with Sevilla FC of the Spanish La Liga. His most usual position is left fullback. After seven highly successful seasons with Sevilla, he moved on August 2007 to Levante.