Sportskeeda's list of 50 best players playing currently: 40-31

#31 Gerard Pique

More than 230 appearances and eight years in Catalan country, Gerard Piqué is a Barcelona veteran, moulded into the player he is by the club’s philosophy. His success with the Spaniards is unprecedented; he has three Champions League crowns, six La Liga titles and four Copa del Rey wins, not to mention the FIFA World Cup and UEFA European Championship triumphs with Spain.

He is an indispensable member of the Barca back-line. Last season, for example, he made an average of 6 defensive actions per game, meanwhile completing, on average, 90% of his passes. If any defender ever did encapsulate the concept of ‘playing out from the back’, it’s Pique.

To say Barcelona have been slow starters this season would be a little harsh, but they do trail Real Madrid by more points they would like, and cynics would argue Pique is gradually beginning to decline. Nonetheless, he deserves his place on this list and among the all-time greatest defenders, and some would even argue that this position simply doesn’t do the Spaniard’s glittering career justice.

For me, it’s his below par recent form coupled with a lack of further potential, as well as the fact he’s only really thrived at one club in his career which holds him back ever-so-slightly.