The 20 centre-backs with the lowest average goals conceded per game ratio in the 21st century

An interesting graphic courtesy of PopFoot has shown the 20 centre-backs with the lowest average goals conceded per game ratio across their career.

In the world of modern football, many fans love nothing more than crunching the numbers to assess who really was/is the best of the best.

And amongst the vast array of statistical analysis available to those fans today, yet more data has emerged which may weigh into the ‘best centre-back’ debate.

Although, we will warn you, the number one spot might come as quite a surprise…

Over the years football has borne witness to many legendary defenders.

The modern era has Virgil van Dijk and Sergio Ramos. Before that we had John Terry and Nemanja Vidic, Paolo Maldini and Franco Baresi, and the list only goes on from era to era.

It’s impossible to measure who ‘the best’ truly was, because comparing generations just doesn’t quantify accurately.

But if you were to try, goals conceded would almost certainly be towards the top of your list.

Which is where this rather intriguing graphic comes in.

So, who would we expect to be topping this list of defenders with the lowest goals conceded ratio? Football is of course a team sport, so players who spent their career at a successful team rather than worked their way up you would expect to do well.

And on that basis, one would have to think Maldini and Terry are all but certainties to be right up there having spent their careers at AC Milan and Chelsea respectively.

Let’s check out the full ranking.

20. Pepe – 797 (games) | 730 (conceded) | 0.92 (per game)

19. Jamie Carragher – 775 | 708 | 0.91

18. Jerome Boateng – 579 | 527 | 0.91

17. William Gallas – 529 | 466 | 0.88

16. Gerard Pique – 757 | 662 | 0.87

15. Rio Ferdinand – 621 |