Ciro Ferrara

Hard, but fair. That pretty much sums up Ciro Ferrara. Or, very hard, but fair. Ferrara had one of those very angular frames that players didn't like to receive a clattering from, as they knew it would probably hurt. A lot. Born in Naples, he would go through the youth system of his hometown club before making his debut for the first team as a 17 year old in 1984. Ferrara was quite unique in the hardest footballers category, because as well as being renowned for his incredible strength and aggression as a central defender or right-back, Ferrara also had a reputation for his technical ability and composure on the ball. His tenacity and combative style also made him one of Serie A's finest man-markers, a role he excelled in on numerous occasions against high-profile opponents. Indeed, Ryan Giggs would name-check him as the hardest opponent that he's played against. The combination of these factors were one of the reasons that Juventus would make a move for him in the 1990s.