Gary Lineker gave defenders all sorts of problems during the start of his career at Leicester City, where he took centre stage at the King Power. Goals followed Lineker wherever he went, including at Barcelona, where he got his hands on the European Cup Winners' Cup in 1989.
The legendary former 80-cap England international was a potent poacher whose instinctive runs and clinical finishing abilities often left opposition dumbfounded. He was so focused on finding the back of the net that he never received a booking or a sending off during his career.
The same can't be said for one of his most difficult opponents, who received 18 yellow cards, although he was never handed his marching orders. The Aston Villa hero gave Lineker a hard time because he wasn't your usual hard-as-nails centre-back.
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Some of the most feared defenders to grace the English top-flight include John Terry, Tony Adams, and Nemanja Vidic. They were three brute forces at the back, willing to put their bodies on the line for their teams.
The evolution of the centre-back role throughout the Premier League has been intriguing, and now it's almost a must to be a jack of all trades. But Paul McGrath was perhaps ahead of his time, one of the most gifted defenders who earned "God" status at Aston Villa.
Lineker waxed lyrical about the Irishman when asked to name his toughest opponent on the Rest is Football podcast:
"I used to hate playing against Paul McGrath. He was quick, and strong and aggressive. He was tough to play against.
I much preferred it against your quintessential, big, tough, centre half, rather than a small quicker one. Paul McGrath wasn't small, but he was rapid."
McGrath's impressive pace made him much more formidable at 6 ft 1 in, and he rarely put a foot wrong when a one-on-one duel commenced. He'd already made a name for himself at Manchester United before arriving at Villa in 1989, but it was with the Villans where his peak years came.
He'd likely have been a mainstay in Sir Alex Ferguson's United side if it weren't for nightmare injury troubles and off-the-field issues. He instead became a fan favourite during a seven-year stay at Villa Park, becoming their 11th all-time appearance maker.
The former 83-cap Republic of Ireland international helped Villa win two League Cups in 1994 and 1996. He came up against Lineker 17 times throughout his career, including in a 1-0 win over England at Euro 1988 while playing in midfield.
Paul McGrath With Aston Villa and Republic of Ireland
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Lineker hit 145 goals in the First Division before the Premier League arrived in 1992 after he'd left English club football for a second time. He was one of the most clinical goalscorers the country has seen and the dread that overcame defenders when seeing him race towards goal is being relived during the modern era.
Erling Haaland has been a revelation since joining Manchester City in the summer of 2022, breaking all sorts of records in front of goal. The Norwegian has bagged 84 goals in 96 Premier League games and won the Golden Boot two seasons in a row.
The 24-year-old's best season came in 2022-23, when he fired City to a treble in his debut campaign. Few centre-backs have been able to handle him, but Lineker would have liked to have seen him tussle with his past foe.
Lineker replied to a question from the Champions League's media team to name any defender from any era for the former Borussia Dortmund frontman to face:
"Paul McGrath"
Lineker thinks Haaland is a "better version" of himself, which creates curiosity over how McGrath would fare in his prime against the free-scoring Norwegian. The Irish great collided with similar dominant forwards, including Ian Rush and Peter Beardsley, and it would have been compelling to see him battle with today's frontmen.
All statistics courtesy ofTransfermarkt- correct as of 21.05.2025.
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