Where does Petr Cech rank in the pantheon of all-time Premier League goalkeepers?
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Arsenal goalkeeper Petr Cech has announced that he will be retiring from football at the end of the season.
The 36-year-old has been a professional for 20 years and has decided that this will be the right time to hand up his gloves and end a career in which he’s won pretty much every club trophy available to a goalkeeper in England during his spells with Chelsea and the Gunners.
There’s no doubt that the Czech star is one of the best goalkeepers in Premier League history, but where exactly does he rank amongst the best that the competition has ever had?
We’ve taken a look.
20. Alisson
Some may think it’s very early to put Alisson on this list, after all, he’s only played 22 Premier League games and he’s made two pretty high-profile errors. However, it’s clear to see the impact he’s had on Liverpool and his save percentage is truly magnificent. Expect him to move further up this list over the coming years.
19. Neville Southall
‘Big Nev’ was past his best by the time the Premier League was established but he was still very good for a struggling Everton side in the early 1990s.
18. Jussi Jaaskelainen
Finnish star Jussi Jaaskelainen was a mainstay in the Bolton Wanderers side which achieved great things in the Premier League.
17. Tim Flowers
In 1993, when he made a £2.4million move to Blackburn Rovers, Flowers was the most expensive goalkeeper in Britain. He went on to win the Premier League title with Rovers before moving to Leicester, where he won the League Cup.
16. Mark Schwarzer
Mark Schwarzer first appeared in the Premier League back in 1998 after he helped Middlesbrough earn promotion from the First Division. He then had a glittering career in the top-flight with spells at Fulham, Chelsea, Leicester.
15. Hugo Lloris
World Cup winner Hugo Lloris has had a great impact at Tottenham, both on and off the field. He has everything required for a modern-day goalkeeper.
14. Shay Given
What he lacked in height, Shay Given made up for in ability. He was an amazing shot-stopper and was great for Newcastle and Manchester City.
13. David James
David James played an incredible 572 Premier League games in his career. Whilst he had the odd error in his game early in his time in the top-flight, by the end, he was one of the most consistent goalkeepers that the league has seen.
12. Brad Friedel
Speaking of consistent goalkeepers, Brad Friedel was exactly that. He had a cool head on his shoulders and was a great servant for Blackburn and Tottenham.
11. Nigel Martyn
People sometimes forget how good Nigel Martyn was, as he was never really in international contention. However, Crystal Palace, Leeds and Everton fans will know just how valuable he was to their sides.
10. Joe Hart
Things may have gone a bit pear-shaped for Joe Hart in recent seasons, but at his peak, he was a huge asset to Manchester City’s title-winning sides and he won the league’s Golden Glove award a joint-record four times.
9. Jens Lehmann
Replacing David Seaman was never going to be an easy job but Jens Lehmann did it every well indeed. He was part of Arsenal’s Invincibles of the 2003/04 season.
8. Pepe Reina
Pepe Reina won three consecutive Golden Gloves between 2005 and 2008, keeping a combined 57 clean sheets in those three seasons. He’s the only ‘keeper in our top ten list who didn’t win a league title.
7. Thibaut Courtois
He may have only had four seasons of Premier League action with Chelsea, but Thibaut Courtois won two titles and the Golden Glove.
6. Ederson
Whilst the sample size isn’t huge, it’s obvious to anyone who watches football just how good Ederson is. Not only is he great when the ball is in the air or when a shot needs saving, he’s also extremely gifted with the ball at his feet, which makes him a huge asset for City. Some may argue about him being so high on this list, but he deserves to be recognised for the impact he’s had in such a short space of time at City.
5. David Seaman
“Safe Hands” David Seaman has an unbelievable career with Arsenal, winning two Premier League titles along the way. He was part of an Arsenal rearguard that is widely regarded as one of the best of all time.
4. Petr Cech
No goalkeeper in the league’s history has kept more clean sheets than Petr Cech, in fact, he’s the only goalkeeper with more than 200 shutouts to his name in the league’s history. As he said in his retirement statement, he’s won all there is to win.
3. Edwin van der Sar
Edwin van der Sar holds the record for consecutive clean sheets in Premier League games as he once went 14 games without a goal going past him. His signing by Sir Alex Ferguson is regarded as one of the best deals in the storied Premier League history of Man United.
2. David de Gea
David de Gea, despite a recent blip, is widely regarded as the best goalkeeper in the world at present. He’s already got one Premier League title to his name and will be hoping to win more in the future.
1. Peter Schmeichel
Peter Schmeichel has five Premier League winners medals and he deserves each of them. He was truly outstanding for Man United in his eight seasons there. He’s still the Gold Standard of Premier League goalkeepers.