Nemanja Vidić vs Paul Ince: Stats Compared
Centre-Back, Serbia (born 1981, retired 2016) · Central Midfielder, England (born 1967, retired 2006)
Ask any fan to rank Nemanja Vidić above or below Paul Ince and you will get a passionate answer. Era matters in any comparison, and these two peaked under very different footballing conditions. The raw numbers read 29 goals in 518 outings for Nemanja Vidić (0.06/game), versus 90 in 650 for Paul Ince (0.14/game). Modern assist data only covers part of their careers, so creativity is hard to compare cleanly — Nemanja Vidić is listed at 0 and Paul Ince at 60 where figures survive. Nemanja Vidić departs the game with 8 major pieces of silverware, including 5× Premier League (2007–2013); Paul Ince with 4, including 2× Premier League (1993, 1994). Nemanja Vidić belonged to the turn of the millennium, dominating with a resolute quality; Paul Ince rose in the 1990s with a incisive edge. Club journeys add another layer, with Nemanja Vidić reaching his representative peak around 2009 across Red Star Belgrade, Spartak Moscow, Manchester United, Inter and Paul Ince doing so around 1994 with West Ham United, Manchester United, Inter Milan, Liverpool, Middlesbrough, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Swindon Town. Picking between them says as much about the picker as the players.
191 words · comparison angle: era
Player profiles
Nemanja Vidić is a Serbian former professional footballer who played as a centre-back. Widely considered as one of the greatest defenders of all time, Vidić is best known for his time at Manchester United, where he won 15 trophies and served as club captain. He is one of only five players to win the Premier League Player of the Season award twice, alongside Thierry Henry, Kevin De Bruyne, Cristiano Ronaldo and Mohamed Salah.
“A fearless centre-back who dominated the air and treated every duel as a personal contest.”
The first Black player to captain England, Ince was a combative, driving midfielder at the heart of Manchester United's early Premier League dominance.
“An aggressive, all-action midfielder whose tackling and late runs into the box made him a formidable box-to-box presence.”
Head-to-head stats
Career goals by season
Representative career seasons — goals per season for each player across their documented clubs.
Attribute radar
Attribute ratings are peak-era, 0–100. Different positions naturally skew the profile.
Attribute comparison
Trophy breakdown
- 5× Premier League (2007–2013)
- 2× Premier League (1993, 1994)
- 2× FA Cup (1990, 1994)
Trophy distribution
Career milestones
- 2001 Established himself at Red Star Belgrade
- 2005 Reached his defining peak
- 2009 Delivered a landmark season
- 2016 Retired from professional football
- 1986 Professional debut for West Ham United
- 1993 Won Premier League with Manchester United
- 1990 Won FA Cup with Manchester United
- 1994 Reached the peak of his powers at Manchester United
- 2006 Retired after a final spell at Swindon Town
- Finished his career with 90 goals in 650 appearances and 4 major honours. Finished his career with 90 goals in 650 appearances and 4 major honours.
The verdict
Weighing production against honours, Nemanja Vidić takes the verdict — a clear margin, driven by a weightier trophy cabinet.
Nemanja Vidić edges it (a clear margin)
