The function of a goalkeeper is continually altering and evolving. Even the time period itself sounds considerably outdated today.
Objective keeper mainly means web minder and historically, that was all the time the function of the participant who stood because the final line of defence. And when formations are quoted, be it 4-4-2, 3-5-2, 4-3-3 or no matter, the goalkeeper is just not even included.
These days, although, the function of the goalkeeper is way totally different – notably within the extra progressive sides. Within the age of the “sweeper-keeper”, the GK is not only a shot-stopper, however a participant who is predicted to ask strain, distribute the ball and provoke assaults from deep.
Regardless of all of that, scoring targets remains to be not a part of a goalkeeper’s job description. Not usually, anyway. Over time, although, there have been loads of goalscoring goalkeepers. Right here, a take a look at among the most notable and essentially the most prolific…
32. Peter Shilton
Considered one of England’s best goalkeepers, Peter Shilton received a file 125 caps for the Three Lions between 1970 and 1990 and received two European Cups at Nottingham Forest.
Shilton began his profession at hometown membership Leicester Metropolis and his solely purpose in over 1,300 profession appearances got here with the Foxes as an 18-year-old, when he scored with a protracted kick ahead in a 5-1 win over Southampton in October 1967. It’s mentioned that, because of the misty circumstances, he didn’t even know he had scored.
31. Pat Jennings
Pat Jennings performed 119 instances for Northern Eire over a interval of twenty-two years and featured in two World Cups, making his closing look in Mexico 86 on the age of 41.
Jennings performed for each Tottenham and Arsenal, however is related to Spurs the place he received extra trophies and likewise scored within the 1967 Charity Defend in opposition to Manchester United with a protracted kick. The match led to a 3-3 draw and the trophy was shared.
30. Andres Palop
Andres Palop was a part of Spain’s European Championship squad in 2008 and received a medal regardless of by no means incomes a cap for La Roja. At membership stage, he received the UEFA Cup 3 times – as soon as at Valencia and twice with Sevilla.
The final of these is unquestionably essentially the most particular. Trailing 2-1 to Shakhtar Donetsk within the groups’ second leg tie within the spherical of 16, Palop went ahead and scored an epic equaliser deep in added time. Sevilla prevailed 3-2 in additional time and went on to win the competitors for a second yr in a row.
29. Bernard Lama
Bernard Lama performed 44 instances for France between 1993 and 2000 and was a part of the squads which received the 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000.
At membership stage, he was profitable at Paris Saint-Germain, profitable one league title, two French Cups, a Cup Winners’ Cup and a Trophee des Champions. Lama additionally performed for Lille and Lens earlier in his profession and scored a penalty for every.Â
28. Andreas Kopke
Andreas Kopke received 59 caps for Germany between 1990 and 1998 and was the first-choice goalkeeper for the nation’s success at Euro 96.
Kopke performed for Hertha Berlin, Eintracht Frankfurt and Marseille at membership stage however spent a lot of his profession at Nuremberg and scored two targets for the membership in his first spell – penalties in opposition to FC Koln and Dynamo Dresden within the Bundesliga.
27. Alex Stepney
Alex Stepney performed over 500 video games for Manchester United and was in purpose for the Purple Devils as they received the European Cup in 1968. Seven days earlier, he earned his solely cap for England.
Stepney scored twice for United – each penalties within the 1973/74 season. The primary was a comfort in a 2-1 loss to Leicester at Previous Trafford; the second a winner in a 1-0 victory at dwelling to Birmingham.
26. Ivan Provedel
Considered one of various gifted goalkeepers to return by way of the youth ranks at Udinese within the early 2010s, Ivan Provedel signed for Lazio in 2022 and was first known as up by Italy that very same yr.
Provedel has scored two last-minute targets in his profession – the primary in Serie B for Juve Stabia in opposition to Ascoli in 2020 and the second for Lazio with a header to earn a 1-1 draw at dwelling to Atletico Madrid within the Champions League in 2023.
25. Paul Robinson
Paul Robsinon earned 41 caps for England between 2003 and 2007 and performed for Leeds United, Tottenham, Blackburn Rovers and Burnley in a profession spanning nearly 20 years.
The goalkeeper scored for the primary two of these golf equipment – a header for Leeds from a nook within the League Cup in opposition to Swindon and a free-kick for Tottenham from inside his personal half versus Watford.
24. Jens Lehmann
Capped 61 instances by Germany in a 10-year worldwide profession between 1998 and 2008, Jens Lehmann was greatest identified at membership stage for his spell at Arsenal.
However earlier than shifting to the Gunners, Lehmann was a longtime goalkeeper within the Bundesliga. He started his profession at Schalke and scored two targets for the membership. The primary was a penalty; the second a last-minute equaliser in opposition to rivals Borussia Dortmund which was the primary purpose from open play ever scored by a goalkeeper within the Bundesliga.
23. Oscar Perez
Oscar Perez received 55 caps for Mexico between 2003 and 2010 and began for El Tri within the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
Recognized for his fast reflexes and agility regardless of his quick stature, Perez additionally scorrd 4 profession targets – one for Mexico’s Below-23 crew, two last-minute headers for Cruz Azul and one other for Pachuca.
22. Peter Schmeichel
Peter Schmeichel is taken into account one of many best goalkeepers in soccer historical past. He helped Denmark to the European Championship in 1992 and received an array of silverware at Manchester United – together with the treble in 1998/99.
In whole, Schmeichel received 129 caps for Denmark. He additionally scored 11 targets in his profession, together with one for his nationwide facet, one for Manchester United in Europe and one for Aston Villa within the Premier League.
21. Nelson Ramos
Nelson Ramos was a part of Colombia’s squad on the 2011 Copa America however by no means received a cap for his nationwide crew.
Ramos performed for a few of Colombia’s largest golf equipment and scored 13 profession targets – six penalties and 7 free-kicks. In 2021, he grew to become the primary goalkeeper to attain targets from free-kicks in three consecutive matches.
20. Sebastian Viera
Sebastian Viera’s father performed professionally as a goalkeeper and he adopted in his footsteps. He received 15 caps for Uruguay and performed in Spain, Greece and Colombia after beginning his profession with Nacional in his homeland.
Viera scored 13 targets in whole, together with 9 free-kicks. He received a Uruguayan league title with Nacional and three Colombian championships at Atletico Junior.
19. Ignacio Gonzalez
Ignacio Gonzalez spent most of his profession in Argentina, however had two spells at Las Palmas in Spain and likewise performed briefly in Mexico. He received 4 caps for Argentina.
He scored six targets for Las Palmas in La Liga, a joint competitors file, and netted 14 instances general in his profession. He retired after his second spell at Las Palmas in 2008.
18. Kennedy Mweene
Kennedy Mweene performed 122 instances for Zambia between 2004 and 2021 and was in purpose for the nation’s 2012 Africa Cup of Nations triumph.
Mweene scored 14 targets in his profession, together with 12 penalties. He netted an equaliser in opposition to Nigeria in an AFCON group sport in 2013 and one other in a 3-0 win over Niger the next yr.
17. Sebastian Saja
Sebastian Saja had lengthy spells at San Lorenzo and Racing Membership and likewise performed in Spain, Italy, Greece, Brazil and Mexico in a protracted profession. He received 4 caps for Argentina.
Saja scored 20 targets general: 12 for San Lorenzo, seven for Racing and one for Gremio. He retired in 2017 on the age of 38 and later grew to become Inter Miami’s goalkeeping coach.
16. Cristian Lucchetti
Cristian Lucchetti had lengthy spells at Banfield, the place he received a league title, and Atletico Tucuman in a profession spanning 28 years between 1995 and 2023.
The Argentine goalkeeper additionally had a spell on mortgage at Boca Juniors and in Mexico with Santos Laguna. He scored 20 profession targets: 19 for Banfield and one for Atletico Tucuman.
15. Phan Van Santos
Phan Van Santos was born Fabio dos Santos in Brazil however went on to play in Vietnam and even represented the Vietnamese at worldwide stage.
He performed for Dong Tam Lengthy Am between 2001 and 2010, scoring 22 targets, the best by a goalkeeper in Asia. In 2006, he scored a free-kick in opposition to Shanghai Shenhua within the AFC Champions League, turning into the primary goalkeeper to web within the competitors.
14. Rafael Dudamel
Rafael Dudamel received 57 caps for Venezuela between 1993 and 2010. The goalkeeper spent most of his membership profession in Venezuela and Colombia, but in addition performed in Argentina and briefly in South Africa.
He scored 22 targets in whole, together with a direct free-kick againsrt Argentina in a World Cup qualifier forward of France 98. After retirement, Dudamel spent 4 years answerable for the nationwide crew.
13. Vincent Enyeama
Vincent Enyeama earned 101 caps for Nigeria between 2002 and 2015 and was an Africa Cup of Nations winner in 2013.
All the time substituted earlier than penalty shootouts in Nigeria with Enyimba, he grew to become a specialist – at each saving and scoring spot-kicks. First-choice penalty taker in Israel with Hapoel Tel Aviv, Enyeama netted 25 profession targets in whole.
12. Exar Rosales
Born in Lima, Exar Rosales represented Peru at Below-17 and U-20 stage and received a league title with Alianza Lima in 2004.
Rosales continuously took penalties for his golf equipment and scored a complete of 26 targets. His profession was successfully led to 2021 when he was handed a 10-year ban for alleged match-fixing.
11. Misael Alfaro
Misael Alfaro received 42 caps for El Salvador between 1991 and 2005 and was a league champion with 4 totally different golf equipment in a profession of over 20 years spent totally in his homeland.
Alfaro is without doubt one of the highest-scoring goalkeepers in soccer historical past. The Salvadoran scored 31 instances throughout his membership profession, together with 11 from penalty kicks.
10. Hans-Jorg Butt
Probably the greatest German goalkeepers of his technology, Hans Jorg-Butt performed for Hamburg, Bayer Leverkusen and Bayern Munich in a powerful profession. He additionally received 4 worldwide caps.
Recognized for scoring penalties and for going ahead if his crew wanted a late equaliser, Butt scored 33 profession targets in whole. These included 26 penalties within the Bundesliga and three within the Champions League – a file for a goalkeeper.
9. Fabio Rampi
In a profession spent largely in Brazil’s decrease leagues and together with lengthy spells at each Sao Jose-RS and Cruzeiro-RS, Fabio Rampi has featured in Serie C, Serie D and the regional Gaucho Championship.
Rampi hit his first senior purpose in 2011 and has gone on to web over 30 in his profession, making him the third-highest Brazilian on the checklist of goalscoring goalkeepers.
8. Fernando Patterson
Fernando Patterson was born in Costa Rica and received one cap for his nationwide crew, however the goalkeeper would go on to spend most of his profession in Guatemala.
Patterson had 5 spells with Xelaju MC in a profession spanning greater than twenty years and netted 35 targets general, leaving him eighth on the all-time checklist of goalscoring goalkeepers when he retired in 2013.
7. Marcio
Marcio performed for various Brazilian golf equipment in a profession spanning 17 years between 2002 and 2019. His most profitable spell got here at Atletico Goianiense, the place he performed for 9 years.
Born in Brazil’s northeast, Marcio scored 40 targets in his profession, with all of these coming at golf equipment in the identical metropolis: 37 for Atletico Goianiense, two for Goias and one for Goiania.
6. Dimitar Ivankov
Dimitar Ivankov was capped 64 instances by Bulgaria and received three titles at Levski Sofia within the early 2000s, earlier than including one other with Bursaspor in Turkey.
Ivankov is the sixth highest scoring goalkeeper of all time with 42 targets in whole and the main European. In 2008, he scored two penalties and saved three as Kayserispor beat Glenclerbirligi 11-10 in a shootout to win the Turkish Cup.
5. Rene Higuita
Rene Higuita was a sweeper-keeper who was forward of his time, typically popping out of his space to assist his defenders, even when that led to occasional errors.
One such error noticed him dispossessed by Cameroon striker Roger Milla as Colombia have been overwhelmed within the final 16 of the 1990 World Cup. More often than not, although, he was an asset and he scored 43 profession targets – together with three for Colombia.
4. Johnny Vegas
Johnny Vegas received simply three caps for Peru however was one of many nation’s greatest goalkeepers in a 20-year profession between 1997 and 2017.
Vegas scored a complete of 45 profession targets from penalties and free-kicks, a tally which included 40 in Brazil’s high flight, 4 within the nation’s second tier and one within the Copa Sudamericana.
3. Jorge Campos
Recognized for his vibrant kits and acrobatic saves, Jorge Campos is considered one of Mexico’s best goalkeepers – regardless of his quick stature of simply 5 foot 6 inches (1.68m).
Additionally a gifted striker, Campos performed as a ahead for Mexican facet Pumas between 1989 and 1991 and scored 28 targets in that interval. He netted 46 instances in his profession, with most of these coming when one other goalkeeper was introduced on, permitting him to maneuver ahead.
2. Jose Luis Chilavert
Jose Luis Chilavert is considered one of South America’s goalkeeping greats. The Paraguayan received 74 caps in a 20-year worldwide profession and was South American Footballer of the 12 months in 1996.
Chilavert is the second-highest scoring goalkeeper ever with 67 targets and is considered one of a choose few to have scored a hat-trick. Eight of these targets got here from Paraguay, which is a file tally for a goalkeeper at worldwide stage.
1. Rogerio Ceni
Aside from a quick spell at Mato Grosso facet Sinop, Rogerio Ceni spent his whole profession at Sao Paulo and revamped 1,000 appearances for the membership.
A Brazilian worldwide and a part of the World Cup-winning squad in 2002, Ceni was Sao Paulo’s set-piece taker from 1997 till his retirement in 2015 and scored 129 targets in that point. He’s listed within the Guinness Guide of Information because the goalkeeper with essentially the most targets scored in skilled soccer.