4 Backup goalkeepers that should be playing regular first-team football 

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Sergio Romero in action for Manchester United

Goalkeepers are one of the most integral parts of a football team. Their job is to prevent the opposition from scoring goals thereby winning the match for their team.

They don't get recognized as popularly as attacking players, with only 2 or 3 goalkeepers getting nominated for the best player of the year awards as opposed to the plethora of attackers who receive the nomination.

Being a second-choice goalkeeper is even tougher, as it's near impossible to get regular starts unless the first-choice goalkeeper is sick or injured. There are many second-choice goalkeepers who have shown their ability and promise whenever they're given the chance to do so, but they don't get to play continuous matches which only ends up harming their goalkeeping potential.

Let's take a look at some of these players, who do deserve to be playing regular first-team football:


#4 Sergio Romero (Manchester United)

Can you believe that Argentina's number one goalkeeper is playing second fiddle at club level? Sergio Romero is currently United's backup goalie to David de Gea, but he's just too good to be that.

The Argentine has been a prominent figure in goal for La Albiceleste but hasn't made the desired mark for his club. Romero would only benefit from a move away from United, as it's nearly impossible for him to replace de Gea as the number one for United.

Clubs like Roma, West Ham, and Valencia would be able to pay him fitting wages and make him play continuous games, but United desperately want to keep Romero, as having two world-class goalkeepers in the squad would only bolster the competition for the starting places. Also, if one gets injured, the club doesn't have to worry about his replacement.

#3 Kevin Trapp (Paris Saint-Germain)

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Kevin Trapp training with Paris-Saint Germain

Gianluigi Buffon just penned a one year deal with French Champions PSG, which means that Kevin Trapp becomes their third choice goalkeeper for this season.

The 28-year-old German international has kept 48 clean sheets in 91 matches for the Parisians, with 100% clean sheet records against the likes of FC Girondins de Bordeaux, LOSC Lille, and EAG Guingamp in his Ligue 1 career so far.

Trapp has to deal with being one of the backups to Manuel Neuer and Marc-André ter Stegen for the German team already, and without getting any game time at club level, his potential will surely fall.

Teams like Sevilla, Bayern Munich, and Napoli would be a great fit for the German as he would get much more game time and have valuable Champions League experience.

#2 Sven Ulreich (Bayern Munich)

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Ulreich filled in the void left by Neuer's injury last season

Sven Ulreich was always going to find first-team football difficult after shifting to the Allianz Arena in 2015 from VfB Stuttgart.

The German had managed 176 starts for Stuttgart and become an integral part of their lineup. Since the move, Manuel Neuer has been taking the show by storm with his sweeper-keeper skills while Ulreich sits on the bench.

Last season saw a different goalkeeper in Ulreich, however, as Neuer's long injury gave the young German keeper a chance to save his career. Despite the odd mistake, the youngster didn't hesitate and proved to the world why he deserves to be playing for a top club.

Teams like Leipzig, Napoli, Valencia and even Schalke 04 would be ideal destinations for the shot-stopper as he'd be given more exposure to regular playing time and establish himself as a first-team goalkeeper.

#1 Mattia Perin (Juventus)

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Mattia Perin goalkeeping for the Italian national football team

Mattia Perin recently transferred to Juventus from Genoa this summer for €12m with €3m in add-ons but would be playing second fiddle to Wojciech Szczesny for the Turin club.

Perin has risen to prominence over the last couple of years and has established himself as a vital contender for Gianluigi Buffon's Italian number one jersey. Mattia has made over 150 appearances for Genoa, which gave him the opportunity to showcase his talents to the world, but the goalkeeper won't be getting as many opportunities at Juventus as his potential suggests.

This is because Max Allegri will rotate between the two goalies throughout the season. The 25-year old would have had the opportunity of regular football at clubs like Napoli and Roma, without the pressure of plying his trade in a different league altogether.

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Edited by Debjyoti Samanta