Herbert Erhardt

Who was Herbert Erhardt?

Herbert 'Ertl' Erhard, also known as Herbert Erhardt, was a German footballer. As a central defender, he played for SpVgg Fürth and Bayern Munich. He was known for his hard tackling, doggedness and captain like performances. The DFB German Football Association list him in the top 20 best German defenders of all time, and Bayern Munich included him in their best 16 in a team made up in the 80s of famous past players.

Erhard started out as a full back before being used as a half back by the mid-1950s. He then settled in the center half position by the end of the 1950s. He earned 50 caps for the West-German national football team, and was a member of the German team which won the 1954 FIFA World Cup. He also participated in two other World Cups, in 1958 and 1962.

Although Erhard did not play in the 1954 World Cup, coach Sepp Herberger toyed with the idea of changing his defense by adding Erhardt as the left back in the final game against Hungary instead of Werner Kohlmeyer, but eventually decided to keep the same lineup as in the semifinal against Austria. Sepp Herberger proved his tactical acumen by moving Erhardt to central defense in early-1958.