Top five highest-scoring defenders in LaLiga history

Real Madrid have had all three of Ramos, Carlos and Hierro in their ranks

Football is a game where 11 players play together. The game is really simple. The team that scores the most goals wins the game. Usually, it is the task of the forward and other attacking players to deliver the goals in a game. But we have seen time and time again, that many defenders are capable of performing this task as well apart from their primary job of defending their own goal.

LaLiga is the Spanish top-tier league for football clubs in Spain. And is also considered one of the five best leagues around the globe. This is definitely due to the competitiveness and we have also seen these Spanish outfits dominate in Europe. Real Madrid from Spain has the highest number of UEFA Champions League titles in their cabinet. And FC Barcelona is also in the top five record title holders.

In the Spanish league, even in much competitive environment sometimes we see defenders thrive in front of the goal. Without further ado, let’s have a look at the five lethal finishers in LaLiga from the defender category of players:

5. Aitor Larrazábal – 38 goals

Recently Gernika Club was managed by the retired defender Aitor Larrazábal. Gernika plays in the Spanish fourth tier. During his playing days, Larrazábal was an entirely one-club player. After being born and brought up in Bilbao city of northern Spain, he soon joined the Bilbao Academy. After spending a year with the Bilbao B team he was included in the first team action.

For Athletic Bilbao, Larrazábal played primarily as the left back and made 390 total appearances in LaLiga. That was in the period from 1990 to 2004. The player was remarkable going forward as well and has netted 38 goals.

4. Roberto Carlos – 53 goals

Another left-back who has scored a lot of goals in the Spanish top division is the Brazilian Roberto Carlos. The 2002 FIFA World Cup winner from Brazil was brought to Europe by Inter Milan. Inter were able to negotiate terms with Brazilian club Palmeiras to let Carlos move to Italy. And just a year later, Real Madrid came calling.

The Spanish giants reportedly got the news that the left-back wasn’t happy as he was played out of his preferred position and Inter were willing to part ways also. Los Blancos then coach Fabio Capello pounced at this opportunity and brought Carlos to the Sanitago Bernebeau stadium in the summer of 1996. In 11 years of stay, Carlos scored 53 goals for the team.

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3. Ronald Koeman – 67 goals

A year before Roberto Carlos arrived another defender had left after making his name in the scoring department across Spain. We are talking about former FC Barcelona man Ronald Koeman. The Blaugranas recruited Koeman after seeing his performances with the Dutch outfit PSV Eindhoven. Koeman played for Barcelona between 1989 to 1995. And in those years the centre-back was outrageous in front of goal. He had a gem of a right foot with which Koeman has netted many freekicks. Koeman left LaLiga with 67 goals.

2. Sergio Ramos – 74 goals

The only active player on this list is Sergio Ramos. A very successful and famous defender from Spain who is still going strong at 37 years of age. Ramos rose through the ranks of Sevilla FC Soccer Academy and by 2004 had debuted for the first team in LaLiga. A €27 million fee helped convince Sevilla to let go of Sergio Ramos and move to the city of Madrid.

From 2005 to 2009 he was primarily playing as right back in Real Madrid. But in the 2009-10 season, Pepe’s injury meant Ramos had to do the centre-back role. He thrived in that position and has been an ever-present centre-back thereafter. Ramos has spent most of his career in Spain with only two years spent with French club Paris Saint-Germain. Already the player has 74 goals on the board and his recent arrival to Sevilla could mark a journey for more.

1. Fernando Hierro – 105 goals

When Sergio Ramos joined the Los Blancos side from Sevilla FC, he inherited the number 4 jersey which was left vacant after Fernando Hierro left in 2003. Hierro was a legendary centre back from Spain and his journey had begun from Valladolid’s youth system. The first team breakthrough came in the season 1987-88 where he just scored once. In his second season with Real Valladolid CF, Hierro scored another two.

Finally, his career’s goal tally skyrocketed after he joined Real Madrid in 1989 summer. In 14 years with Madrid, Hierro racked up 102 goals as a defender. This brought his tally to 105 goals in LaLiga including the three he netted with Valladolid side. Ramos may be back in LaLiga but still has a long way to go if the Spaniard wants to beat Hierro’s record.

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