5 centre-backs to watch out for this World cup

#3 Davinson Sánchez

Sanchez has 8 caps for Colombia.

The 21-year-old Colombian joined Spurs in the summer, for £36 million from Ajax and with Toby Alderweireld's absence, he has quickly settled into the defense alongside Jan Vertonghen.

Having played 23 games in the Premier League, Sanchez has helped Tottenham marshal the early breaks well, making interceptions and headers away from his box, and keeping 11 clean sheets for his team.

Davinson has won 20 tackles this season with a success rate of 36%, made 28 interceptions, 110 clearances and five blocks.

While the stats are all there to prove his growth in the Premier League, it's the maturity he has with the ball at his feet that makes him the defender to watch out for. His heroics have won the trust of his manager as he featured in the Champions League eight times for Spurs.

With Spurs finishing the group stage on top, Sanchez justified his selection against the attacking forces of Real Madrid and Dortmund with the commitment, concentration and team-play required by a top player to manage a defense at the biggest stage in Europe.

Sanchez has looked assured at the heart of Spurs’ defense, and at the age of 21, he still has plenty of time to develop. This has led to his recent call-up to Colombia where he will look to practice his trade with another youngster Yerry Mina.

In a team well-known for their attacking prowess, handling a defense against the likes of Poland, Senegal and Japan in the group stages is going to be a test for Sanchez due to the varying approach to the game of all the teams mentioned above.