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#4 A goalkeeper wins the Ballon d’Or
The last time a goalkeeper won the Ballon d’Or, my father was probably roaming around our village and ancestral home in his nappies.
Lev Yashin of Russia, who once claimed that the secret behind his superhuman goalkeeping abilities was to "to have a smoke to calm your nerves, then toss back a strong drink to tone your muscles,” was the last and only goalkeeper to ever win the Ballon d’Or award.
In his career as a goalkeeper, Yashin made a record 151 penalty saves and over 270 clean sheets for the teams that he played for. So, he was something – and David De Gea is something too.
While there is no doubt that Lev Yashin was perhaps the greatest goalkeeper of all time, it can’t also be denied that De Gea may also be on the greatest ever list by the time he hangs up his boots.
At this point in time, with the form that he is, he should be considered for this trophy as it is about time that a goalkeeper wins the award.
