The scariest football players in the history of the game

Fear the name

In football, not every player on the pitch is out to put on a show. While some tear the pitch apart with flair and skill, others make their mark with grit and brute force. They are the so-called 'stonemasons' of football, tough, no-nonsense players who make their presence known with some old school hard knocks.

Let's take a look

Let's take a look at some of the scariest players to ever step on a pitch.

Roy Keane

The infamous Manchester United captain was all grit and pride, but he did not mess around on the pitch. Ask Alf-Inge Haaland, father of Erling Haaland, whom he waited for months, after injuring his knee, to take his revenge and remove him from professional football entirely.

Gennaro Gattuso

The Italian midfielder lived games with raw intensity! The Milan legend would not only shout at rivals and referees, but also his teammates when he felt they could do better on the pitch.

Pepe

The notorious former Real Madrid defender made history at the Bernabéu thanks to his relentless defense. Adored by 'Madridistas', feared by rivals. If he was going down, he was taking his opponent down with him, by any means necessary.

Sergio Ramos

Sergio Ramos, Pepe's partner in crime for years. To many, Ramos is the 'eternal captain of Real Madrid' and till today he holds the red card record in La Liga. He was rough, raw, and rugged, defending his rivals like no other.

Marco Materazzi

Arguably one of the most controversial players in European football, Marco Materazzi went down as a true stonemason. He will always be remembered for the headbutt that Zidane gave him in the 2006 World Cup final after the Italian mentioned the Frenchman's sister. Textbook trash-talking.

Javi Navarro

Javi Navarro was the embodiment of 'Rock 'n' Roll' football. The legendary Sevilla player is remembered for a brutal foul over Arango, for which Diego Armando Maradona asked for a prison sentence for the Sevilla center-back.

Pablo Alfaro

Javi Navarro's partner in crime, Alfaro, was a no-nonsense center back. Although he looked slow and old, he was never out of position. He would defend his line by any means necessary!

Nigel de Jong

The Dutch defender is remembered for his dirty chest kick during the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. De Jong went studs up on Xabi Alonso, and he only saw a yellow!

Jaap Stam

The 191 cm Dutch defender would scare off his rivals with his presence. Stam was a striker's nightmare...

Scott Brown

This Scottish midfielder admitted that he shaved his head to intimidate his rivals, and the trick worked! He would make his rivals very uncomfortable whenever he was around.

Mark van Bommel

The Dutch defensive midfielder was an attack dog who would not let go of his rival until he took the ball from him or saw him on the ground.