Best Defensive defenders by Season Rating in First League

The best defensive defenders in First League, ranked on Field Insider.

Best defensive goalkeepers in First League Best defensive midfielders in First League Best defensive attackers in First League Best defenders in First League Most in-form defenders in First League Top-scoring defenders in First League

At a glance

Lucas Ryan of Lokomotiv Plovdiv is the standout for raw talent across defenders in First League, with a Field Insider Rating of 33.2, and Z. Atanasov has been the form player this season, grading 32, and R. Bidounga leads the scoring with 4 goals.

The numbers a scout watches are the year-on-year jumps: Dinis Almeida has improved his Season rating most, up +19.9 on last season. Those are the players whose trajectory is bending upward fastest.

By our market-value index, Lucas Ryan of Lokomotiv Plovdiv is the most valuable name in this group at 5.4.

Arda Kardzhali · 20/21→25/26

Most improved

Dinis Almeida+19.9SsN

Ludogorets · 22/23→25/26

50 players · ranked by best defendersCustomise →

	Player	Team
1	Z. Atanasov Centre-back	Cherno More Varna	35	32	32	9
2	J. Salomoni Centre-back	Beroe	28	31	31	23
3	V. Drobarov Centre-back	Cherno More Varna	33	30	30	11
4	M. Stoev Centre-back	Botev Vratsa	26	29.9	30	28
5	A. Nedyalkov Centre-back	Ludogorets	33	28.3	28	11
6	Lucas Ryan Centre-back	Lokomotiv Plovdiv	24	28.1	28	33
7	O. Verdon Centre-back	Ludogorets	30	27.9	28	19
8	Dinis Almeida Full-back	Ludogorets	31	27.4	27265.3%	1559.9%
9	F. Eboa Eboa Centre-back	Arda Kardzhali	29	26.5	27253.3%	2158.8%
10	Facundo Costantini Full-back	Beroe	26	26.2	26	27
11	K. Dimitrov Centre-back	Levski Sofia	29	25.7	26	22
12	Adrián Cova Full-back	Lokomotiv Plovdiv	25	25.1	25	32
13	L. Dellova Centre-back	CSKA Sofia	27	24.6	25	27
14	V. Velev Full-back	Arda Kardzhali	26	22.7	23187.3%	284.1%
15	Cascardo Full-back	Arda Kardzhali	29	21.6	222300%	2158.3%
16	Maicon Full-back	Levski Sofia	26	21.6	22	30
17	N. Soldo Centre-back	Botev Plovdiv	25	21.4	2157.4%	3042.7%
18	Son Full-back	Ludogorets	32	20.7	2150.4%	1373.3%
19	L. Marin Full-back	Slavia Sofia	32	20.1	20	14
20	M. Ruskov Centre-back	Lokomotiv Plovdiv	24	19.8	20	32
21	I. Nachmias Centre-back	Ludogorets	29	19	19	19
22	L. Dvali Centre-back	CSKA 1948	31	18.2	18	15
23	D. Medina Full-back	CSKA 1948	24	18.1	18	32
24	J. Andersson Full-back	Ludogorets	29	17.8	189.2%	1945.5%
25	A. Ivanov Central midfielder	Dobrudzha	21	17.8	18	32
26	E. Stoev Attacking midfielder	Slavia Sofia	30	17.7	18	18
27	Á. Martino Full-back	CSKA Sofia	28	17.5	1859.2%	2353.8%
28	A. Granchov Centre-back	Spartak Varna	33	17.4	17	11
29	T. Pavlov Full-back	Lokomotiv Plovdiv	22	17.4	17	32
30	I. Goranov Centre-back	Botev Vratsa	34	17.3	1747.9%	860.7%
31	Pastor Full-back	CSKA Sofia	26	17.2	1750.3%	3051%
32	M. Hristov Full-back	Septemvri Sofia	22	17.2	17	32
33	N. Minkov Full-back	Botev Plovdiv	28	16.6	17	24
34	E. Espinoza Centre-back	Lokomotiv Plovdiv	25	16.3	16	30
35	D. Velkovski Full-back	Arda Kardzhali	31	16.3	16101.2%	1544.7%
36	N. Savić Centre-back	Slavia Sofia	25	15.6	16	29
37	João Sérgio Full-back	Beroe	23	15.6	16	29
38	M. Todorski Full-back	Slavia Sofia	22	15.4	15	31
39	V. Kerchev Full-back	Dobrudzha	29	15.1	15	20
40	R. Bidounga Centre-back	Lokomotiv Sofia	29	15	15	20
41	D. Ferraresso Full-back	Slavia Sofia	34	14.8	15543.5%	957.3%
42	R. Daskalov Full-back	Lokomotiv Sofia	31	14.7	15	15
43	I. Videv Centre-back	Botev Plovdiv	20	14.6	15	33
44	O. Gašević Full-back	CSKA 1948	24	14.5	15	31
45	Aldair Full-back	Levski Sofia	26	14.3	14308.6%	2944.2%
46	T. Ivanov Centre-back	CSKA Sofia	22	14.2	14	32
47	A. Kabashi Centre-back	Botev Vratsa	29	14	14	18
48	B. Katsarov Centre-back	Lokomotiv Sofia	32	13.7	14	13
49	K. Önaşçı Full-back	Septemvri Sofia	20	13.5	14	31
50	A. Lyaskov Full-back	Lokomotiv Sofia	28	13.3	13	23