| FEROCITY | Centre back in attack last to display violence (8) |
| BALI | I go to a research centre back in a resort island (4) |
| SWEEPER | Versatile centre-back in football (7) |
| AFOOT | Photo of Ajax's centre back in operation |
| ATHELSTAN | King beginning to attack last rebels in the north (9) |
| NAIROBI | In which city is the Westgate shopping mall, scene of a major terrorist attack last September? (7) |
| GOFOR | Attack last of tiling put on damaged roof (2,3) |
| LISANDRO | ____ Martinez, centre-back who joined Manchester United in 2022 (8) |
| GABBIDON | Danny ........, Cardiff City, West Ham United and Wales centre back (8) |
| WILLIAMS | Ashley ........, Everton and Wales centre back (8) |
| JOEGOMEZ | Liverpool centre back whose made his senior England debut in 2017 |
| DEFENDER | Guard against hesitation shown by centre back perhaps (8) |
| BENWHITE | The Brighton centre-back who has been signed by Arsenal. (3,5) |
| STEPHHOUGHTON | Manchester City centre-back who won 121 caps for England and 8 for Great Britain (5,8) |
| ECLAT | Brilliant display from temperamental centre back |
| TROUSER | Centre back has United in pocket (7) |
| FINANCE | Intended to protect one's centre back |
| LETGO | Blog tells centre-back to loosen up (3,2) |
| VLAAR | Ron ___, Dutch international centre-back at Aston Villa from 2012 to 2015 |
| ROMERO | Cristian, Argentinian centre-back who joined Tottenham Hotspur FC in 2022 (6) |
