Stats by StuartBannigan and gurkenjoe93

Name: Kevin Ratcliffe



Country: Wales
Club: Everton FC
Position: *CB, SB
Side: LF/LS
Age: 24-27 years (05/11/1960)

Height: 180 cm
Weight: 80 kg

Attack: 61
Defence: 85
Balance: 85
Stamina: 82
Top Speed: 89
Acceleration: 85
Response: 87
Agility: 78
Dribble Accuracy: 71
Dribble Speed: 75
Short Pass Accuracy: 70
Short Pass Speed: 72
Long Pass Accuracy: 72
Long Pass Speed: 73
Shot Accuracy: 59
Shot Power: 81
Shot Technique: 59
Free Kick Accuracy: 60
Curling: 62
Header: 80
Jump: 82
Technique: 72
Aggression: 66
Mentality: 83
Goalkeeper Skills: 50
Team Work: 79

Injury Tolerance: B
Condition: 8
Weak Foot Accuracy: 5
Weak Foot Frequency: 5
Consistency: 7
Growth type: Standard

CARDS:
S07 - Man Marking
S09 - Covering

SPECIAL ABILITIES: Marking - Covering

Attack/Defence Awareness Card: Defence Minded

INFO:

Kevin Ratcliffe was a Welsh defender, best known as Everton's captain throughout their 80s golden era. Ratcliffe was probably the fastest central defender in Europe at his peak. His main strength was his ability to clean up everything that got past the rest of the team, as with his pace and mobility he could cover large areas of the field. This allowed his team to play higher up the pitch and that direct, high tempo style was Everton's key to success. He was also a tough player and an aggressive tackler although not always clean. He wasn't a ball playing defender but could get forward on occasions, using his pace to make runs behind the opposition defence. He also wasn't anything special in the air but his usual partner Derek Mountfield covered this with his aerial power, while Ratcliffe swept up everything on the ground. Ratcliffe also captained his country and is considered one of the best Welsh defenders ever although he never qualified for a tournament with the national team.

ATT is about 8 or 9 points too low, AGG about 6 or 7 points. While he wasn't a technical defender by any stretch of the imagination, he had solid attacking moves and I've seen him get right in behind the opposition's defence in open play several times over the course of watching maybe 7 or 8 games. Because of his pace he could break through the lines with his runs, especially against teams trying to play the offside trap. He certainly wasn't the sort of defender to just stay inside his own box like that ATT and AGG value suggests.

Updated.