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Defenders have come a long way from just being the players assigned the task of preventing goals. Not only is it common to see defenders make runs deep into the opposition half, but it is also something that's expected from them in the modern game.
Defenders are, by definition, expected to prevent the goals from going and not make them but some of them have had their fair share of contribution towards the goals throughout their careers, especially the full-backs.
Liverpool's Trent Alexander-Arnold is reaching new heights with his ability to set up goals for his teammates, having notched up 12 assists for two back-to-back seasons. At just 21 years of age, he has a total of 25 assists in league fixtures and thus it is only a matter of time before he becomes the highest assisting defender in the Premier League, but as of now, he has a lot of catching up to do.
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The ability to operate on the flanks and the forward play allows full-backs to set up their teammates more regularly as compared to their centre-half colleagues, so it is no wonder why the top assist providing defenders in the history of English top-flight all started as either right-backs or left-backs.
Some of the players who we're going to take a look at in this list started in more advanced roles down the pitch and were converted into full-backs over time, either very early in their careers or before they reached the peak of their careers.
So, on that note, here we present to you the top five defenders with the most assists in the history of the Premier League.
Also See: Premier League standings, Premier League all-time top assist providers
5. Gary Neville - 35 assists
We kick off our list with a Premier League legend in former Manchester United star Gary Neville. The one-club man is one of the most decorated English players of all-time, having won 20 major trophies during his 19-year spell with the Red Devils.
Though he was not the quickest, tallest, strongest or most technically gifted player, he was a reliable, traditional defensive-minded right-back, who possessed an incredible ability to read the game, which made him so successful as a right-back.
He was not particularly known for his offensive qualities, having only scored five goals in 400 Premier League appearances for United, but his longevity helped him reach 35 assists with them before he hung his boots in 2011.
The most productive period of his career in terms of assists came between 1995 to 2005, in which he provided 30 of his 35 career assists andit mostly boils down to his brilliant chemistry with David Beckham on the right-hand side of the pitch in that period.
Also See: Top five Premier League players with most assists in a single season
4. Andy Hinchcliffe - 36 assists
Former Manchester City and Everton left-back Andy Hinchcliffe amassed 36 assists in 219 Premier League appearances, earning the fourth place on this list.
Hinchcliffe enjoyed the best spell of his career at Goodison Park with the Toffees, winning the only titles of his career - the FA Cup and Community Shield - both in 1995.
The fleet-footed defender possessed a wand of a left-foot, whipping in crosses and corners with inch-perfect precision into the box, week in and week out. He was the designated set-piece specialist for Everton in the eight years he spent with the club and also managed to score a few goals from direct free-kicks as well.
Persistent injuries got the better of him in the final years of his career, with an injury to his left knee 1996 proving particularly devastating. The same problem forced him to early retirement in 2002 at the age of 33, but despite his career being cut short, he managed to leave a mark of himself in the English top-flight with his 36 assists.
3. Ian Harte - 36 assists
At number three we have yet another left-back in former Ireland international Ian Harte, who was known for his goalscoring abilities as much as he was renowned for his ability to set up goals for his teammates.
Harte had a sweet left-foot on him and produced some astonishing long-range goals throughout his career. He was also a set-piece specialist, which explains why he has almost the same number of goals and assists.
He has 36 assists and 28 goals to his name in 237 Premier League appearances, with the bulk of his offensive contribution coming during his time with Leeds United.
He enjoyed the best spell of his career at the turn of the century as he bagged a career-best seven assists in the 1998-99 term, followed by five more in the 1999-2000 season and six in the 2000-01 campaign. He also scored 18 goals in the same period, most of them resulting from set-piece situations.
2. Graeme Le Saux - 44 assists
Former Chelsea and England regular Graeme Le Saux is one of the first players in the Premier League era to make a successful transition from a left-winger role to that of a left-back. His style of play was similar to that of a modern-day wing-back and that's the reason why he was so good at distribution from the left flank even after being pushed further deep into this own half midway through his career.
Unlike most of the players in this list, most of his contributions came from open play rather than set-pieces. Despite not being the best at taking free-kicks he could produce a powerful shot from his left foot.
The 1994-95 title winner with Blackburn Rovers became the most expensive defender in the English top-flight when he returned to his boyhood club Chelsea in the summer of 1997, with the Blues deciding that the player's attacking prowess made him worth £5 million at that time.
Of the 44 assists that he racked up throughout his career, the majority of them came during his spell with Blackburn, where he also achieved a career-best of eight assists in the 1993-94 campaign.
1. Leighton Baines - 53 assists
The player who finds himself on top of the list is Everton's evergreen left-back Leighton Baines. The 35-year-old is the only defender in the history of the competition to breach the 50-assist barrier, a feat he achieved in 2017.
He started life as a winger at Wigan Athletic and has not lost that attacker's instinct which can be seen in his crossing, his passing or his delivery from set-pieces, where he displays sublime precision and accuracy.
Baines has been one of the most consistent left-backs in the English top-flight over the last decade but now age is catching up to him. Though he may not possess the same pace and stamina now that he used to a few years ago, he is still one of the most important figures for the Toffees on the pitch.
Until last season, he was one of two defenders holding the record for the most assists in a single Premier League season. He equalled former Everton left-back Andy Hinchcliffe's record of 11 assists in a single campaign in the 2010-11 season.
Despite picking him his landmark 50th assist in 2017, he has only picked up three more since but luckily for him, he still has at least a season or two to play in the top-flight and thus will get to extend his tally even further.
