Full-back was once the most undesirable position in football. As Jamie Carragher crudely put it on Monday Night Football back in 2013: "Nobody wants to grow up to be a Gary Neville".
Carragher was suggesting that no aspiring footballer desired to be a conservative full-back who rarely ventured forward and whose primary focus was defending. The former Liverpool defender would add that full-backs were either failed wingers or failed centre-halves.
At the time, there was certainly a lot of truth in Carragher's sentiment. But the role of the full-back, as a result of samba influence and Pep Guardiola, has evolved drastically in a relatively short space of time. A once unflattering position has morphed into one of trend, style, and significant tactical importance to elite sides.
Thus, it's no surprise that four of the top ten and two of the top three when it comes to Premier League assist leaders among defenders are current players. The leading ten are all full-backs and we saw a new leader emerge on Boxing Day as Liverpool beat Aston Villa 3-1 at Villa Park.
Here are the ten defenders with the most assists in Premier League history.
10. Kyle Walker
Premier League appearances: 343
Assists: 32
Once White Hart Lane's flying wing-back, Walker has matured into a tactically astute serial winner at Manchester City. Guardiola has morphed the England international into one of the great full-backs of his generation, and the role he performs at City means he's no longer required to contribute relentlessly in the final third.
His inverted function means his assist tallies have dwindled considerably since his first season at the Etihad, but his total of 32 is enough for him to sneak into the top ten.
9. Dan Petrescu
Premier League appearances: 215
Assists: 33
Dan Petrescu was a key part of a crucial era at Chelsea in which the Blues began to emerge as a serious force in the Premier League.
The Romanian international, who was capped 96 times by his country, enjoyed spells at four different Premier League clubs but it was at Chelsea where he notched the vast majority of his 33 assists.
8. Gary Neville
Premier League appearances: 400
Assists: 35
Perhaps the Carragher slander was a bit harsh! G Nev was as traditional as it gets in regards to full-back profiling, but he was capable of producing a moment or two from crossing situations.
Neville never racked up more than four assists in a single Premier League season, but he ended his lengthy career with 35 in 400 league appearances.
7. Cesar Azpilicueta
Premier League appearances: 334
Assists: 35
Chelsea's Mr Dependable is still going strong (sort of) following a decade of service at Stamford Bridge. It didn't take the versatile Spaniard long to settle in west London and he's since evolved into a contemporary Chelsea legend.
The Blues skipper is a wonderful technician and many of his Premier League assists - which total 35 - have arrived from a deeper position when operating as a right centre-back in a back three.
6. Andy Hinchcliffe
Premier League appearances: 219
Assists: 36
The more youthful Premier League watchers know Andy Hinchcliffe as one of the voices of Sky Sports, but there was a time not so long ago when the full-back was terrorising Premier League defences with his fierce delivery from set-pieces.
Hinchcliffe made 219 Premier League appearances before retiring in 2002, during which he registered an impressive 36 assists - including 11 in 1994/95.
5. Ian Harte
Premier League appearances: 237
Assists: 36
Irishman Harte is fondly remembered for his exploits at Leeds as David O'Leary took his exciting group of players to the Champions League.
The then-youthful Harte was one of the stars of those thrilling Leeds sides. He was an exuberant full-back who loved contributing in the final third as O'Leary let him off the leash.
Harte would end his Premier League career with 28 goals and 36 assists.
4. Graeme Le Saux
Premier League appearances: 327
Assists: 44
The Premier League victor with Blackburn Rovers in 1995 was certainly less adventurous than the majority of his contemporary full-back peers, but he was a fine defender who was twice named in the PFA Team of the Year.
Le Saux was more than adept with the ball at his feet and a willing contributor in the final third when called upon. He ended his impressive Premier League career with 44 assists.
3. Trent Alexander-Arnold
Premier League appearances: 176
Assists: 45
The Liverpool defender has taken the mantle from the likes of Cafu, Roberto Carlos and Dani Alves in distorting our perceptions of the full-back (and he's not even Brazilian!).
Alexander-Arnold is nothing short of a unicorn with the ball at his feet. There isn't a pass he can't execute with the utmost ease, and his attacking output is staggering as a result.
Jurgen Klopp has tailored his system to maximise Trent's gift and the right-back, despite question marks arising over his defensive competence, has delivered at a frightening rate. He's registered double-digit assist hauls in three seasons since 2017/18.
Who knows how many he'll end up with?
2. Leighton Baines
Premier League appearances: 420
Assists: 53
Another set-piece maestro, Everton stalwart Leighton Baines had himself a serious Premier League career.
The English defender, who possessed an absolute wand of a left foot, equalled Hinchcliffe's single-season assist record for a defender in the Premier League as he notched 11 in 2010/11.
Baines was a consistent performer for over a decade with Everton after joining from Wigan in 2007 and he was among the Premier League's best full-backs during his prolonged peak (2008-2015).
1. Andy Robertson
Premier League appearances: 231
Assists: 54
Robertson may not boast the wow factor of his full-back partner at Anfield, but it was the Scotsman who surpassed Baines' assist record on Boxing Day when he teed up Mo Salah for Liverpool's opener.
That was Robertson's 54th Premier League assist on his 231st appearance.
Like Alexander-Arnold, the energetic Scot has registered three double-digit single-season assist hauls and will be expected to add plenty more to his current tally in the coming years.
This could be quite the battle between the Liverpool pairing.
Source : 90min