Blackpool hero claims Arsenal legend is better than Virgil van Dijk and Man United legends Nemanja Vidic and Rio Ferdinand

Blackpool hero Gary Taylor-Fletcher has waded in on a debate surrounding the best defenders in the history of the Premier League.

An original post from user TheEuropeanLad claimed that Liverpool's Virgil Van Dijk is the great centre-back in the history of the Premier League, which has been around since 1992. It was suggested that Van Dijk was better than Nemanja Vidic, Rio Ferdinand and John Terry.

In defence of Vidic, TenHagWay said that Vidic won five league titles against the likes of Thierry Henry, Didier Drogba, Andriy Shevchenko, Sergio Aguero, Luis Suarez, Robin Van Persie, Fernando Torres and Hernan Crespo.

Taylor-Fletcher, waded in on the debate and offered his opinion from his experience against playing against Vidic. He played 31 times in the Seasiders' 2010/11 campaign and netted past Vidic on the final day of the campaign, however the goal didn't prove enough to keep them up, as they lost 4-2 to the Red Devils.

Posting on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, he said: "Yeah an I tore him apart twice for @BlackpoolFC in 2010/11 season.

"He was no where near levels of Ferdinand, Terry & VVD. He was the same level as skrtel.

"Solid good player. Not elite."

When asked who he thought is the greatest defender of the Premier League era, he suggested an Englishman was. He said: "Tony Adams is my number 1 prem defender ever."

Adams played a total of 255 times for Arsenal in the Premier League following its inception in 1992 to 2002. The 57-year-old lifted four Premier League titles, and went on to manage Portsmouth and Granada.

As for Taylor-Fletcher who retired in 2019, he also turned his hand to management. He guided Welsh side Bangor City to the Europa League qualifying rounds, before returning to England to manage Nantwich Town and later AFC Crewe.