6. Dwight Yorke

The A-League’s first true superstar, while everyone recognised Yorke’s talent upon his arrival at Sydney FC, its doubtful many realised just how crucial a leader he would become.

Pierre Littbarski gamble to transition the A-League’s most prestigious striker to a defensive midfielder paid dividends, as Sydney won the first ever A-League Championship under Yorke’s guidance.

Despite returning to the Premier League after only one season – where he would retain his defensive leadership – Yorke’s quality and commitment set a precedent for all future A-League marquees to follow.

5. Alessandro Del Piero

The biggest name to ever grace the A-League by some margin, what ADP did for Sydney FC can only be surmounted by what he did for the A-League as a whole.

It takes a very special player to make it onto this list having never guided his club to a trophy, but nobody’s ever doubted Del Piero’s superiority.

In only two years, Del Piero injected another level of excitement, class, credibility and entertainment into the entire competition. In terms of leading by example, the Italian maestro’s 24 goals in 48 appearances says it all.

But the reason he’s one of the greatest captains in A-League history is because at 37-years-old, having accomplished everything there is in the modern game, he still genuinely gave his all.

At times he single-handedly carried a side teeming with weaknesses, but he always did it with relentless positivity and calm assurance. Grazie Ale.

4. Alex Wilkinson

Central Coast’s longest serving captain, 206 competitive appearances across seven seasons and the man who brought two A-League premierships to the smallest club in Australia - Wilkinson will arguably go down as the greatest Mariner of all time.

He was vastly loyal, with unwavering maturity and a sumptuous tackling ability that saw him become a Socceroos fixture at the 2014 World Cup. Under Wilko, the Mariners just never seemed like a small club.

He also captained the side to three A-League finals, through two Asian Champions League campaigns and played a crucial role in the development of a prodigious Socceroos defender named Trent Sainsbury.

Someone who oozes leadership on and off the field, to this day Wilkinson’s defensive excellence is unsurpassed.