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Goalkeepers are the unsung heroes of a football match. They are a breed apart from other players. Being the crucial line of defense between victory and loss, goalkeepers are often forgotten when things are going well. They are, however, singled out and held responsible when they make a rare mistake leading to a goal.
Goalkeepers are also at a strong risk of injury since their job involves diving at the opponent's feet to collect the ball. They are responsible for maintaining and organizing the defense. But despite their immense contribution to the game, they often do not receive the credit they deserve.
This article aims to highlight the remarkable career and achievements of five of the best lesser-known goalkeeping legends who deserve more recognition.
#5 Mohammed Al-Deayea - Saudi Arabia
Mohammed Al-Deayea can easily be considered the best goalkeeper in Asia. He was a dynamic player and an agile shot-stopper. Al-Deayea was the goalkeeper of the Saudi Arabian team that famously won the 1989 FIFA Under-17 World Cup. This is an incredible achievement considering the fact that Saudi Arabia had no national team until 1976.
Al Deayea lived up to his potential and starred for his country in four World Cups. His heroics in the penalty shootout in the final of the 1996 Asian Cup made him a fan favorite back home. He won the Gulf Cup twice and the Arab Nations Cup once with Saudi Arabia. He was also a serial winner with his club side Al-Hilal.
Al-Deayea was a talented handball player, and he initially wanted to be a professional handball player. His brother Abdullah Al-Deayea convinced him to play football instead of handball. In the beginning, he found it difficult to fill in the shoes of his brother Abdullah, who was also a very talented goalkeeper.
However, he did not let anybody down and went on to become one of the most decorated footballers in Asia. He was voted Asia's Goalkeeper of the Century in 1999 by the International Federation of Football History and Statistics.
#4 Andoni Zubizarreta - Spain
Andoni Zubizarreta is perhaps one of Spain's greatest goalkeepers of all time. He had a successful spell with the Spanish clubs Alaves, Athletic Bilbao, Valencia CF, and most importantly - FC Barcelona.
In his prime, Andoni Zubizarreta was arguably the best goalkeeper in the world. He was, without a doubt, Barcelona's most successful goalkeeper of all time. He was a natural leader. He constantly kept on instructing his teammates about how to play and who to pass. He organized the back-line effectively, and his presence solved Barcelona's defensive problems.
Perhaps the most outstanding achievement of his career was winning the 1992 European Cup with Barcelona. He was a rock-solid shot-stopper at the back while Barcelona under Johan Cryuff dazzled the crowd with their immersive total football.
Under Johan Cryuff's total-football revolution, he demanded a more increased role of the goalkeeper in the game. Despite being a fantastic shot-stopper, he was not a great passer of the ball. This led to a falling out with the coach, eventually leading to his departure from the club.
He went on to become Sporting Director of Barcelona and later Olympique de Marseille.
#3 Pat Jennings - Northern Ireland
Pat Jennings, the legendary Northern Irish goalkeeper, received no formal training before joining his local team. He had a short stint with Watford before moving to Tottenham Hotspur in 1964. He had a very successful time at Tottenham, winning the FA Cup, two League Cups and the UEFA cup.
He famously scored a goal in the FA Community Shield match against Manchester United from his own half. The ball sailed over Alex Stepney, Manchester United's goalkeeper, creating a memorable moment.
He was later sold to Tottenham's arch rivals Arsenal, thinking he was in the twilight of his career. However, Jennings revived his career at Arsenal, where he played for an astonishing eight more seasons.
Jennings has made over 1000 top-level appearances for clubs. His longetivity and his shot-stopping qualities made him one of the best goalkeepers of the time.
Jennings has represented Northern Ireland on the international stage 119 times. Pat Jennings had so much devotion to his country that he came out of retirement just to represent his country in the 1986 World Cup.
#2 Dino Zoff - Italy
Dino Zoff is perhaps one of Italy's greatest goalkeepers. Legendary shot-stopper Zoff was rejected by both Juventus and Inter Milan when he was 14-year-old for being too small. He was eventually signed by Udinese, but made a horrific debut after conceding five goals in the match. He later moved to Mantova and then had a fairly successful spell at Napoli.
In 1972, Zoff was bought by Juventus, the club which rejected him when was fourteen years old. He did not disappoint as he went on to win six Italian League titles, two Italian Cups and a UEFA cup. However, heartbreakingly, he missed out on winning the European Cup, losing the finals in 1973 and 1983.
Zoff had an illustrious career with Italy. He received his first call up during the 1968 European Championships. He played his first match in the quarter-finals and went on to win the tournament. Zoff was a role model to several goalkeepers and he could read the game unlike anybody else. His level of concentration and match-winning saves made him a fan-favorite in Turin, as well as in Italy.
Another factor that made him a winner at the highest stage for so long was his longetivity. He broke many goalkeeping records and famously captained Italy to World Cup victory in 1982, becoming the oldest World Cup winner of the time at the ripe age of 40. He was voted the Italian Goalkeeper of the Century. He retired shortly afterwards and went on to have a remarkable coaching career.
His legendary achievements are perhaps eclipsed by another legendary goalkeeper from Italy and Juventus - Gianluigi Buffon.
#1 Sepp Maier - West Germany
Josef Dieter 'Sepp' Maier played as a goalkeeper for his local side TSV Haar at the start of his career. He signed for Bayern Munich and went on to become an ever-present member of the Bayern side which dominated football in 1960s and 1970s. He seemed impossible to beat at the back.
In the acrobatic prime of his career, Sepp Maier won the European Cup in 1974, 1975 and 1976, establishing Bayern Munich as the top team in Europe. A rare achievement for a goalkeeper, he was awarded the German Player of the Year three times.
His career with the national team was nothing short of legendary. He won the European Championships in 1972 and the World Cup of 1974 with West Germany at the pinnacle of his career. He is, without a doubt, the finest goalkeeper Germany has ever produced. He retired in 1978 due to a car accident and became a coach.
