Juventus: Ranking the five best centre-backs of all time

4. Leonardo Bonucci

At 34 years old, Leonardo Bonucci is still plying his trade in Turin and today, we’ll overlook his recent demise in favour of the Italian’s brilliance throughout Juve’s reign of terror over Calcio throughout the 2010s.

Bonucci immediately formed a robust relationship with Giorgio Chiellini – more on him in a moment – following his arrival from Bari in 2010, before Juventus’ clash against a thrilling Napoli side in 2011 forced Antonio Conte to match the Neapolitans’ 3-4-3 by implementing a 3-5-2.  Thus, The Turin Wall and perhaps the sternest back three of the modern-day were formed as Andrea Barzagli slotted into the backline, laying the foundations for long-lasting Bianconeri supremacy.

While his rugged counterparts excelled in the lost art of defending, Bonucci, while a fine defender in his own right, boasts tremendous technique with the ball at his feet and remains adept at launching attacks with his extensive passing range to this day. The Italian’s proficiency in this regard means it’s no surprise that Pep Guardiola labeled him as one of his “favourite ever players”, while former Italian goalkeeper Giovanni Galli compared him to the great Gaetano Scirea.

At his apex (2016/17), there’s no doubting that the Italian was one of the best defenders in the world, making stark improvements under Massimiliano Allegri who embraced his supreme ball-playing capacity. Lapses in concentration that plagued his youth became infrequent and Bonucci evolved into an adept man-marker possessing a comprehensive tactical understanding.

A forgettable stay in Milan for AC certainly damaged his Bianconeri reputation in some quarters, but Bonucci’s importance in Turin over the past decade means he’s a worthy entrant to this list.