Born in 1925, such was the impact of Nílton Santos, that he still today makes lists of the best footballers of all time. Santos was born in Brazil and spent the whole of his club career with Botafogo, he played for the senior team from 1948-1964. He mostly played as a left-back, and he won many honours during his career with more bestowed upon him after his retirement. Santos passed away at the age of 88 on 27th November 2013.
What Makes Santos So Special
Nílton Santos is widely regarded as one of the best ever defenders to have ever played football. He is said to have revolutionised the left-back position by demonstrating that players in that position can be successfully used as part of the attacking strategy of the game in addition to defensively.
During the prime of his career Santos made some incredible runs down the left wing, of the like not seen before from footballers playing in his position. This enthusiasm for playing a more forward position a