Sportskeeda Football Awards 2016: Goalkeeper of the Year

The final embers of 2016 are burning away, and it’s that time of the season to take stock and reflect on a fantastic footballing year. At Sportskeeda, we have undertaken the difficult task of sifting through all the statistics, all the arguments and have ranked the 10 best goalkeepers of the year.

The art of goalkeeping has truly been elevated with some stunning performances this calendar year, and while individual awards like the Ballon d’Or fail to recognize goalkeepers, we have truly attempted to give them their due.

Here are the 10 best goalkeepers of the year:

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How our Readers voted

It’s fair to say that fan biases played a huge role in how our readership voted, with David de Gea topping our poll on Facebook with 35% of the 1158 votes cast. Manuel Neuer and Keylor Navas round out the top 3, and we have afforded our reader’s choice 50% weightage while deciding the final rankings.

Players ranked 1 gain 10 points, while those finishing 10^th get 1 point. The scores from Sportskeeda’s list and the Reader’s choice are then added together, with an average score being taken. In the situation of two players being tied, Sportskeeda’s ranking takes preference – which played a big part in deciding the award this year

10 Petr Cech – (Reader’s Rank: 8 | Sportskeeda’s Rank: 9 | Average Score: 2.5)

Petr Cech has been largely consistent in 2016

It’s a rare sight in modern football for a player to be loved by two rivals, yet Petr Cech has managed to do so with both Arsenal and Chelsea. The Czech custodian placed #10 in Sportskeeda’s Top Keepers of 2015 and has continued in the same vein of form, making it to #10 in this year’s edition as well.

Cech became the Premier League’s clean sheet record holder at the end of the year in 2015 and has extended the record with 12 clean sheets this calendar year, which takes his tally to a staggering 182 in 383 games. However, the numbers for 2016 show that the Arsenal man hasn’t had the best of seasons, a situation perhaps precipitated by the Gunners’ tendency to leak goals.

In addition, Cech’s dismal record with penalties also came to the fore this year, not saving a single one of the 7 penalties he has faced in 2016. However, a saves-per-goal ratio of 2.125 coupled with his aura between the sticks means that Cech will command the backline for Arsenal in the near future.

Petr Cech: 2016 Calendar Stats
Appearances	32
Clean Sheets	12
Goal Conceded	32
Saves	68
Saves per Goal	2.125
Penalties Conceded/Saved	7/0
Distribution Success Rate	61%

#9 Stephane Ruffier (Reader’s Rank: 10 | Sportskeeda’s Rank: 7 | Average Score: 2.5)

Stephane Ruffier commands the goal for Saint-Etienne

Ligue 1’s relative unpopularity can be gauged by the fact that Stephane Ruffier received a grand total of 0 votes in our reader’s poll. It does the French keeper a great disservice, as Ruffier is undoubtedly the best goalkeeper in France, and perhaps ought to make the claim of being the national team’s goalkeeper ahead of Hugo Lloris.

Saint-Etienne are hardly one of the biggest clubs in France, and they possess what can be best described as a ‘nervous’ defence. Yet, Ruffier’s numbers are downright astonishing, as his saves-per-goal ratio of 3.05 is only bettered by the legendary Gianluigi Buffon in this list, while his tally of 110 saves in this calendar year is the highest out of all the 10 keepers listed.

Ruffier is also no mug when it comes to penalties, with a 50% success rate this season. Those are the kind of stats that explain why clubs of the stature of Manchester City, AS Roma and Arsenal have made moves for him in the past, only for St-Etienne to refuse to let go of their prize jewel.

If you’re still one of those who aren’t convinced, look at the proof of Ruffier’s talents in the video below:

Stephane Ruffier: 2016 Calendar Stats
Appearances	41
Clean Sheets	17
Goal Conceded	36
Saves	110
Saves per Goal	3.05
Penalties Conceded/Saved	3/3
Distribution Success Rate	66%

#8 Rui Patricio – (Reader’s Rank: 6 | Sportskeeda’s Rank: 10 | Average Score: 3)

Rui Patricio making that pivotal save against Jakub Blaszczykowski

The Sporting Lisbon shot-stopper’s presence in this list owes more to his performances with Portugal in Euro 2016 than with his club. The 28-year-old can look back on a year where he picked up his first international trophy, which earned him a Ballon d’Or nomination and a final rank of 12th, beating out the likes of Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Paul Pogba.

Patricio’s calendar stats aren’t the best, as can be gleaned from a dismal saves-per-goal ratio of just 1.39, the least of any player in this list. Sporting do not face many shots on goal in their domestic league, yet Rui Patricio has conceded 38 goals in 41 games this season while keeping 18 clean sheets.

Yet, Rui Patricio can hold his head high as the only goalkeeper apart from Gigi Buffon who received any votes for the Ballon d’Or this year, no doubt aided by those with a memory of his performance in the Euro 2016 final against France, where he made outstanding saves to deny Antoine Griezmann and Moussa Sissoko and thus ensure that Portugal did not concede. His penalty heroics against Poland, where he saved a Jakub Blaszczykowski strike to send Portugal through to the semifinals, could be considered the best moment of a stellar 2016.

Rui Patricio: 2016 Calendar Stats
Appearances	41
Clean Sheets	18
Goal Conceded	38
Saves	53
Saves per Goal	1.39
Penalties Conceded/Saved	4/1
Distribution Success Rate	65%

#7 Hugo Lloris (Reader’s Rank: 9 | Sportskeeda’s Rank: 6 | Average Score: 3.5)

Hugo Lloris was brilliant for both club and country this year

Hugo Lloris dons the armband for Tottenham Hotspur and France, and that ought to be enough to let you know about the trust that his teammates and managers place in him. Lloris capped off a wonderful year between the sticks by being one of the 30 players nominated for the Ballon d’Or, but sadly missed out on receiving any votes.

Our readers are slightly better though, as 3% of those voting opted for Lloris as the goalkeeper of the year, and the Frenchman makes a fine case. While his numbers with Spurs aren’t the best – a saves-per-goal ratio of 1.90 is middling at best, it’s the kind of game-rescuing saves that Lloris makes that sticks in our collective memories.

The Frenchman was nominated for the UEFA 2015/2016 save of the season when he memorably kept out Joshua Kimmich’s strike in the Euro 2016 semifinal, while also making crucial saves for Spurs against Bayer Leverkusen and AS Monaco in this year’s UEFA Champions League.

No wonder Spurs pay their Mr. Dependable a £4000 bonus even when they lose.

Hugo Lloris: 2016 Calendar Stats
Appearances	41
Clean Sheets	14
Goal Conceded	41
Saves	78
Saves per Goal	1.90
Penalties Conceded/Saved	3/0
Distribution Success Rate	75%

#6 Jan Oblak (Reader’s Rank: 5 | Sportskeeda’s Rank: 8 | Average Score: 4.5)

Jan Oblak has swiftly become one of the best goalkeepers in the world

Atletico Madrid’s ‘success’ in the 2015/16 season owes a lot to its defensive block, and Jan Oblak is the man underpinning the entire operation. The Slovenian has quietly become one of the most highly rated goalkeepers in the world, as can be borne out by the fact that he won La Liga’s award for the best goalkeeper of the 2015/16 season.

Our readers seem to agree with that sentiment, with 10% of them voting for him, and his numbers prove that a case can be made that Oblak is the best goalkeeper to have ever played for Atletico Madrid. A staggering 30 clean sheets in the calendar year is the best amongst the top 10, which is made all the more impressive when one notes that Oblak has only conceded 28 goals, with a SPG ratio of 2.64.

There are critics of the Slovenian however, and part of the reason that Sportskeeda ranked Oblak at 8 is because he has significant deficiencies as a modern goalkeeper. Oblak’s claim success isn’t the best and his reluctance to deal with anything aerial often provides the opposition with an outlet. Not to mention that a distribution success rate of just 56% is downright awful for a modern keeper, although Diego Simeone’s system doesn’t expect him to be a playmaker from the back.

Jan Oblak: 2016 Calendar Stats
Appearances	49
Clean Sheets	30
Goal Conceded	28
Saves	74
Saves per Goal	2.64
Penalties Conceded/Saved	6/2
Distribution Success Rate	56%

#5 Gianluigi Donnarumma (Reader’s Rank: 7 | Sportskeeda’s Rank: 4 | Average Score: 5.5)

Gianluigi Donnarumma is the legitimate heir to Gianluigi Buffon’s throne

When a 17-year-old goalkeeper is the only reason AC Milan fans were coming to the San Siro at the start of the year, that teenager must be some talent. Throughout 2016, Gianluigi Donnarumma has gone on to prove that the hype surrounding him is very, very justified. He is arguably the biggest goalkeeping talent to emerge ever since Gigi Buffon and Iker Casillas made their debuts decades ago, and I would not bet against him topping this list in the next few years.

Serie A's dwindling viewership is why Donnarumma only emerged with 3% of our readership's vote, but we at Sportskeeda rate him very highly. Just take a look at his numbers – 99 saves in the calendar year is only bettered by Keylor Navas and Stephane Ruffier in the list, while his SPG ratio of 2.36 is nothing to sniff at either. Stunningly, the 6 foot 5-inch teenager has a 100% claim success in all competitions in 2016 – the only keeper in this list to do so.

It's unthinkable that a 17-year-old has manned the goal for a nation with a huge pool of goalkeeping talent like Italy, but that is what Donnarumma has achieved. His agent, Mino Raiola has valued him at €170 million, but I doubt that even AC Milan will let one of their prized jewels go for that much. Goalkeeping has a new crown prince, and his name is Gianluigi Donnarumma.

Gianluigi Donnarumma: 2016 Calendar Stats
Appearances	37
Clean Sheets	12
Goal Conceded	42
Saves	99
Saves per Goal	2.36
Penalties Conceded/Saved	1/0
Distribution Success Rate	71%

#4 David de Gea (Reader’s Rank: 1 | Sportskeeda’s Rank: 5 | Average Score: 8)

David de Gea is arguably Manchester United’s most important player

The first player ever to win three consecutive Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year awards for Manchester United, David de Gea is doing justice to his 'Dave Saves' moniker with every passing game. Manchester United's status as the club with the biggest fan base was arguably the reason the Spaniard topped our readership's poll with 35% of the votes cast in his favour but de Gea is more than just a fan favourite.

No doubt, United fans will be outraged that De Gea only makes it to 4th in our list, but his numbers aren't all that great this calendar year. De Gea has the third worst saves-per-goal ratio among the top 10, while also not having the best of distribution rates at 69%. 42 goals conceded in 39 appearances aren’t the numbers of a Goalkeeper of the Year, and his performances for Spain weren’t much better either.

Yet, despite a dip in his personal stats, De Gea retains the ability to produce an absolutely ridiculous save in a pivotal moment. Just witness his save against Philippe Coutinho to earn United a precious point this season. There aren't many in the world who can pull it off, and I wouldn't bet against the Spaniard making similar saves to top our list next year.

David de Gea: 2016 Calendar Stats
Appearances	39
Clean Sheets	13
Goal Conceded	42
Saves	84
Saves per Goal	2
Penalties Conceded/Saved	4/0
Distribution Success Rate	69%

#3 Manuel Neuer (Reader’s Rank: 2 | Sportskeeda’s Rank: 3 | Average Score: 8.5)

Manuel Neuer still remains one of the best keepers in modern football

It's a credit to Manuel Neuer that whenever he fails to top a goalkeeping list, it's a bit of a shock. The German has come to redefine the art of goalkeeping in a manner that has changed what is expected from young and upcoming keepers - to the point that coaching manuals are being re-written thanks to the German’s efforts.

The theory that Neuer is an outfield player masquerading as a goalkeeper is borne out by the fact that he has a stunning 84% distribution success rate, the best of any goalkeeper in this calendar year. 20 clean sheets and just 25 goals conceded from 42 appearances also perhaps is an effect of Bayern Munich’s great defence, but a saves-per-goal ration of 2.8 is absolutely stellar.

Neuer hasn’t reached the heights of his Ballon d’Or 2014 run, which was borne out by the fact that he received no votes in this year’s Ballon d’Or voting. Yet, the German still remains ever-consistent, and he will retain his burning desire to top the charts in 2017, which is a likely possibility.

Manuel Neuer: 2016 Calendar Stats
Appearances	42
Clean Sheets	20
Goal Conceded	25
Saves	70
Saves per Goal	2.8
Penalties Conceded/Saved	1/0
Distribution Success Rate	84%

#2 Keylor Navas (Reader’s Rank: 3 | Sportskeeda’s Rank: 2 | Average Score: 8.5)

Keylor Navas was pivotal for Real Madrid as they won the UEFA Champions League

Keylor Navas was out #1 pick for Goalkeeper of 2015/16 and while the Costa Rican has relinquished his crown, he remains one of the best in the game. Surprisingly, Navas is still criminally under-rated by television pundits, despite being the backbone of a Real Madrid side that won the UEFA Champions League this season.

Our readership doesn’t seem to think along those lines, with 15% voting for him and Navas was looked at favourably by us at Sportskeeda as well. With a staggering 103 saves in a calendar year, Navas goes against the grain of custodians of top sides averaging 70-80 saves in a year. Thus he has one of the best saves-per-goal ratio of 2.86, a figure which would have been better had Real Madrid’s defence not gone AWOL multiple times this year.

I’m going to go out on a limb and make a rather tall claim: Real Madrid’s unbeaten run would not have existed without Keylor Navas in goal. Los Blancos’ defence has been exceptionally leaky in 2016, but Navas is often at hand to bail out his side, although there are limits to how often he can perform his magic.

The proof of the pudding? – a side of Real Madrid’s monetary talents hasn’t been linked with a top keeper. Keylor Navas is here to stay.

Keylor Navas : 2016 Calendar Stats
Appearances	40
Clean Sheets	13
Goal Conceded	36
Saves	103
Saves per Goal	2.86
Penalties Conceded/Saved	3/1
Distribution Success Rate	75%

#1 Gianluigi Buffon (Reader’s Rank: 4 | Sportskeeda’s Rank: 1 | Average Score: 8.5)

Even a questionable moustache does not take away from Gianluigi Buffon’s undoubted clash

And then there was one.

Gianluigi Buffon finished joint top of the Goalkeeper of the Season (2015/16) and continues his reign at the pinnacle of goalkeeping. The Superman was voted Player of the Year by Juventus fans in 2015/16, and the 38-year-old shows no sign of slowing down. He remains under-appreciated (somewhat) by our readership who only ranked him #4, but we at Sportskeeda are huge fans, christening him our #1 choice, which was enough for Buffon to be crowned Sportskeeda’s Goalkeeper of the Year.

Just take a look at this stat – Gianluigi Buffon has more clean sheets than goals he has conceded in 2016. That is a jaw-dropping stat and while there are those who will argue that Juventus’ backline affords him excellent protection, it is invalidated by the fact that Buffon has the best saves-per-goals ratio of 3.54 among all the goalkeepers in the world.

The Italian is a bonafide legend, and with many clamouring for his throne, he defies belief to go from strength-to-strength. What more can be said about the magic that is Gigi Buffon? Just witness him in action in the video below.

Gianluigi Buffon: 2016 Calendar Stats
Appearances	42
Clean Sheets	23
Goal Conceded	22
Saves	78
Saves per Goal	3.54
Penalties Conceded/Saved	3/1
Distribution Success Rate	82.25%

Here are how our reader’s voted