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ENGLAND'S DREAM TEAM

Player Profiles: Center Back

PLAYER:Billy Wright

BORN:Ironbridge, 1924

TEAMS:Wolverhampton Wanderers

CAPS:105, 3 goals

The first England player to reach 100 caps, Billy Wright captained England 90 times. He played in 70 consecutive games for England, a record unlikely to be broken unless science is able to cure SMFI (Sudden Meaningless Friendly Injury). Despite being only 5 ft 8, Billy was imperious in the air. He was also a tough tackler and fine passer. A great ambassador for English football, fondly remembered as a true gent.

PLAYER:Bobby Moore

BORN:Barking, 1941

TEAMS:West Ham United, Fulham

CAPS:108. 2 goals

Bobby Moore is one of the most admired footballers the world has known. He made his England debut at 21 and became captain the next year. His positional sense and timing put him ahead of most strikers he faced and his distribution was impeccable. A born leader who inspired calm in those around him, he was Sir Alf's team 'heartbeat '. Just looking at his picture can cause grown men to forget their worries and blow bubbles.

PLAYER:Neil Franklin

BORN:Stoke, 1922

TEAMS:Stoke City

CAPS:27

Young-uns (the under-60s) won't have heard of him, but he was regarded as the best centre-half around after the war. Franklin went to play in Colombia, where, amazingly, a footballer could earn better money than in England. Because Colombia weren't a member of FIFA, the Football League then suspended Franklin, thus ending an England career that promised much. The original cultured centre-half, he would have graced any team.

PLAYER:Terry Butcher

BORN:Singapore, 1958

TEAMS:Ipswich Town, Glasgow Rangers, Coventry City, Sunderland

CAPS:77, 3 goals

A real blood-and-thunder centre half, Terry Butcher will always be remembered for the iconic image of him bandaged and bloodstained that so epitomised the bulldog spirit. His mad eyes still haunt... He became a hero at Ibrox, leading Rangers to the first two of nine successive titles. Butcher was always at the thick of the action but could also play a bit, and was outstanding during the 86 Mexico World Cup.

PLAYER:Des Walker

BORN:Hackney, 1965

TEAMS:Nottingham Forest, Sampdoria, Sheffield Wednesday

CAPS:59

'You'll never beat Des Walker', as the Forest fans used to sing. A ferocious tackler, Walker had the pace to go with it. An original 110-percenter, his commitment meant he was loved at the City Ground well before his performances for England attracted the attention of Sampdoria. Cost us a place at USA 94 by giving away a daft penalty in the Holland qualifier, but will always be remembered as a formidable stopper.

PLAYER:Jack Charlton

BORN:Ashington, 1935

TEAMS:

Leeds United

CAPS:35, 6 goals

Playing in the same team as a younger brother widely regarded as the best footballer in England could have put pressure on some people, but not Jack. He simply plied his own, vastly different trade as an intimidating centre-half with a kick like a mule and a neck like a giraffe. But this one-man awkward squad could certainly play. He won Footballer of the Year in 1967 and scored nearly 100 goals for his beloved Leeds in an impressive and lengthy career.

PLAYER:Tony Adams

BORN:Romford, 1966

TEAMS:Arsenal

CAPS:66, 5 goals

A defensive colossus in Arsenal's watertight back four, Adams had to endure years of ridicule from opposing fans, who insisted on confusing him with a domestic beast of burden. He stubbornly persevered, however, conquering braying derision and mounting alcoholism to captain England on 15 occasions. Perhaps not the most gifted defender, he made up for his shortcomings with leadership and tenacity. A player you'd like beside you in the trenches.

PLAYER:Sol Campbell

BORN:Newham, 1974

TEAMS:Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal

CAPS:56, 1 goal

A considerable presence on the football field, mostly because of his considerable bulk, Campbell is difficult to get past. Or round. Strong in the tackle and commanding in the air Campbell is an automatic pick in the current England side. Can occasionally look clumsy, particularly if a football's involved, but is as solid as a rock at the back. His distribution has improved, but his main talent is still getting in the way of the opposition.

PLAYER:Roy McFarland

BORN:Liverpool, 1948

TEAMS:Tranmere Rovers, Derby County, Bradford City

CAPS:28

Brian Clough brought Roy McFarland to Derby County and he soon became England's undisputed No.5 - holding on to his place until injury forced him out. Despite being a rough, tough geezer, McFarland could play the ball along the ground. He was a great captain who was powerful in the air and a threat from set pieces. He led Derby to their greatest triumphs, winning the League twice before Cloughie upped sticks after a dispute with the chairman.

PLAYER:Phil Thompson

BORN:Liverpool, 1954

TEAMS:Liverpool

CAPS:42, 1 goal

Phil Thompson is another in a long list of cultured Liverpool central defenders. He always showed a great desire and will to win, as might be deduced from his impassioned ravings on the touchline today, and as a player he won plenty in the great Liverpool teams of the 70s and 80s. Everything, in fact. Unfortunately his career didn't coincide with a great national side, but he did make to Spain 82 where we almost looked half-decent. For a bit.

PLAYER:Emlyn Hughes

BORN:Barrow-in-Furness, 1947

TEAMS:Blackpool, Liverpool

CAPS:62, 1 goal

If he doesn't make the all-time England team, surely he'll make the all-time Question of Sport team? The insane passion with which he played the game (football) earned him the nickname 'Crazy Horse' - and such was his character he took it as a compliment. His enthusiasm was infectious and even in later life there was a childlike quality about him. Ever versatile, Hughes played all across the back four for England and Liverpool and always in the same (should he be?) committed manner.

PLAYER:Duncan Edwards

BORN:Dudley, 1936

TEAMS:Manchester United

CAPS: 18, 5 goals

Duncan Edwards was only 21 when he died from injuries sustained in the Munich air crash, yet already at this tender age he had won the league twice and earned 18 caps for England. Edwards made his Manchester United debut at 16 and his skill and drive epitomised the Busby Babes. Tommy Docherty once said he was better than Best, Pele and Maradona - although to be fair Docherty has said an awful lot of things�

PLAYER:Rio Ferdinand

BORN: Peckham, 1978

TEAMS:West Ham United, Leeds United, Manchester United

CAPS:33, 1 goal

Suspended from football for eight months but still eligible for the Dream Team, the world's most expensive defender has still to prove himself worth the astonishing �29 million (give or take) that Manchester United paid for him in 2002. A solid defender and a ball-playing centre back, Sven Goran Eriksson has installed him as an automatic choice but he's yet to convince on the world stage that he's worth the hype drummed up about him since he was a teenager.

PLAYER:Mark Wright

BORN:Dorchester-on-Thames, 1963

TEAMS:Oxford United, Derby County, Southampton, Liverpool

CAPS:45, 1 goal

A cultured and lanky defender, Mark Wright was an outstanding performer at Italia 90 when Bobby Robson decided to go with a weird back three. Unflappable and stylish, he was a natural choice as sweeper when England decided to try something a bit 'foreign'. He certainly wasn't your old-fashioned centre-half and his selection marked something of a sea change in English defending in that he could kick the ball as well as people.

PLAYER:Gareth Southgate

BORN:Watford, 1970

TEAMS: Crystal Palace, Aston Villa, Middlesbrough

CAPS:56, 2 goals

One of the most reliable defenders in the modern game, Gareth Southgate is an unsung hero. (Not literally, of course, given the splendid way he belts out the national anthem.) Despite impeccable timing, tackling and positional sense, the poor guy will always be remembered for that rubbish penalty miss. Mind you, it was rubbish. In some ways more dependable than Campbell and Ferdinand, he must feel undervalued, forever waiting for one of them to be injured. Or banned�

PLAYER:Dave Watson

BORN:Stapleford, 1946

TEAMS:Sunderland, Manchester City, Werder Bremen, Southampton, Stoke City

CAPS:65, 4 goals

Big Dave was so called for two reasons. He was very big and his name was Dave. He was an old-fashioned stopper in the sense that he would throw his massive frame in front of virtually anything in order to stop it. Never one to over-finesse the matter, he would then hoist it into Row Z. Has the distinction of being the only outfield player to win England caps with five different clubs - and was one of the scariest looking footballers ever.

PLAYER:John Terry

POSITION:Centre back

BORN:Barking, 1980

TEAMS:Chelsea

CAPS:6

Just a whippersnapper in international terms but one, perhaps, with a big future. Terry has stood firm while Chelsea try and buy every player they've ever heard of, so in a way he already has an international pedigree. People say he has something of the Tony Adams about him - he's certainly dominant in the air and likes shouting. He should be at the heart of Chelsea's defence for years to come. Unless they buy a new one.

PLAYER:Jonathan Woodgate

BORN:Middlesbrough, 1980

TEAMS:Leeds United, Newcastle United

CAPS:4 He's had his problems with injuries and stupidity but his talent has been never been in question. After his 2001 conviction for affray, Woody has settled into the winning company of Bowyer, Bellamy and Bramble at Newcastle and may yet win a place at Euro 2004. He was outstanding in his first full season at Leeds, winning his first cap whilst still in his teens. Mature beyond his years, at least on the pitch.

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