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The job of a goalkeeper is never easy but there have been a few players who have excelled in that position. A keeper reaches his peak when he is around the age of 30 but a few youngsters have defied that rule.Here are five young goalkeepers who have successfully proved themselves to be solid additions to their respective teams.
#1 Thibaut Courtois
The talented Belgian is just 21 but has already amassed 140 appearances for his temporary side Atletico Madrid and even earned the LFP Goalkeeper of the Year Award for his brilliant performances last season. Courtois has already won the hearts of Atletico fans, who have come out with a new fad called “Thibauting”, named after the stopper made a spectacular save last year.
The stopper may have to wait a while to impress at Chelsea as their first choice keeper Petr Cech is still going strong and won’t be going anywhere for the next couple of years. On a brighter note, Courtois has already displaced Liverpool’s Simon Mignolet as the Belgium National team’s first choice keeper and is sure to start in the World Cup this year.
#2 David De Gea
The Spaniard, who made a name for himself at former club Atletico Madrid, had a hellish first season at Manchester United but came back stronger than ever and is now on course to becoming one of the best players in his position.
De Gea’s team aren’t having their best season but the stopper has stood strong, keeping 11 clean sheets along with making 87 saves all season. Stats show that De Gea is the only keeper who hasn’t dropped a catch this season which shows how much he has improved.
The 23-year-old has been a standout performer for Spain’s youth teams but has not got a crack at the first team yet but if he keeps up his performances then that will soon happen. I see De Gea succeeding Iker Casillas as La Roja’s first choice keeper in the future.
#3 Wojciech Szczesny
The Pole was spotted by Arsene Wenger back in 2006 and was touted as a potential first choice keeper for the team in the future. A few years later Szczesny did just that and is now an important part of the Gunners team.
The 23-year-old faced flak for some below par performances last season but has picked himself up, keeping 13 clean sheets this season. He is known to be eccentric, but this year he has cut it out of his game, and worked on being consistent.
Poland did not qualify for the World Cup this year which is unfortunate as we won’t see the goalkeeper perform on the world’s biggest stage but Szcznesy has his best years ahead of him, leaving him with many more opportunities to display his magic between the sticks.
#4 Marc Andre ter Stegen
The young German was made first choice keeper of Borussia Monchengladbach aged just 19 and has made a total of 118 appearances for the Bundesliga outfit since then. The 21-year-old has already made 3 appearances for the Germany national team, where he gained fame for saving a Lionel Messi penalty in a friendly match against Argentina but was unable to prevent a 3-1 defeat.
The youngster decide against renewing his contract with his boyhood team and will be one of the most coveted names in the market. Rumours are abound that he will join La Liga giants Barcelona this summer where he will get the ultimate chance to showcase his skills.
#5 Bilal Hamid
Bilal “Bill” Hamid joins the long list of Americans like Tim Howard, Brad Friedel and Kasey Keller to gain attention for his skill between the sticks. The 23-year-old stopper made his debut for D.C United as a 19-year-old and has held his position ever since. The Sierra Leone born goalkeeper has made 93 appearances for the MLS side and is seen as a successor to Everton’s Tim Howard in the USA National Football Team.
Hamid had a successful trial with Scottish club Celtic but was unable to join them due to his inability to secure a work permit. The goalkeeper is attracting numerous Premier League teams and it won’t be long before he makes a move to England much like his other countrymen who have excelled on foreign shores.
