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Football, as we all except states-side Americans know, is a game played with a ball at your feet. The term football makes that very apparent. And it is for this reason that there are some people who don’t consider goalkeepers as footballers because they rarely use their feet.
While the claims are ludicrous, one always wonders whether the goalkeepers are actually good at football – or, in other words, with the ball at their feet – because kicking the ball over long distances doesn’t really display the skills of a player with the ball at his feet.
So, here we attempt to list down 5 goalkeepers who could be midfielders
David De Gea
David De Gea has been, without any space for argument, the best player of Manchester United over the last 3 seasons. Guarding the net, at times, he has the sole reason for the Red Devils to not lose points in a match.
Strings of saves after saves has made him the sweetheart of many United fans. However, it is not only with his hands that he can put the fans in awe.
There were many instances where he used his skills to get past the player closing him down. To top that off, he did a promotional video with Bwin – taking an inch-perfect free-kick and curling it towards the bottom corner.
With a move to Real Madrid on the cards, he would definitely give Cristiano Ronaldo a run for his money when it comes to taking direct free-kicks – although, any random kid from the street would be able to do that given the way the Portuguese takes them now.
Hugo Lloris
He could be referred to as the first among the current crop of sweeper-keepers to fall into the limelight for his sweep-keeping. He single-handedly kept Cristiano Ronaldo and co. from scoring against Lyon in the 2009-10 Champions League. And, like the goalkeeper mentioned earlier, has been among the best players for Tottenham Hotspur since his arrival at the Club.
While Spurs haven’t matched the performances of the stature that would befit a goalkeeper like the France captain, it hasn’t stopped him from putting in exceptional performances every week.
Whenever a long ball reaches Spurs’ half, Lloris coming down and clearing it off or taking a first touch to move away from the nearest attacker is the most common view.
And it wouldn’t be surprising if he plays in midfield and becomes a good player while doing so.
Victor Valdes
This one is a no-brainer. There is a section of fans that believe that he is better with his legs than his arms – such is his prowess with the ball at his feet.
Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona played the most extreme version of tiki-taka and the root of that system was the current Manchester United goalkeeper. For such a system to work efficiently, the goalkeeper had to be good with the ball at his feet and Valdes perfectly fulfilled the requirement.
The only time the Spaniard was seen using his arms to touch the ball was when a shot was fired at him. Otherwise, he almost always fondled the ball with his feet – so much that he fell in trouble many a times, becoming the subject of criticism and jokes of many.
One can almost guarantee that Victor Valdes will succeed if played in midfield.
Rustu Recber
Perhaps the craziest goalkeeper of modern times – the true definition of a sweeper-keeper. This was a man who wasn’t afraid to run down to the half-way line in order to clear the ball or challenge the forward to wrestle with it.
This overzealous and highly brave attitude won the hearts of many fans. Not many will know his name, but one look at the videos depicting his fearlessness and the viewer will instantly fall in love with him.
The former Turkey international once injured Kieran Dyer of England. How? Well, he ran to the halfway line to clear a long ball and managed to kick Dyer in the head instead.
Manuel Neuer
Gus Fring, in the season 4 finale of Breaking Bad, told Tio Salamanca that “what kind of man talks to the DEA? No man, no man at all.” Similarly, a list like this without the name of Manuel Neuer is no list at all.
The German is an internet sensation not for his near unreal saves, but for his ability with the ball at his feet. He can do things that not even many outfield players can do. He is so sure of his ability with the ball at his feet that he isn’t afraid to dribble in the opposition’s box.
After a long time, in the last edition of the Ballon d’Or, a goalkeeper found his way to the top 3. It was Manuel Neuer. Even if he wasn’t a goalkeeper, but an outfield player, he would still probably make it to the top 3 for the Ballon d’Or.
