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Best young goalkeepers in the world | Top 10

The goalkeeping position has never been more valuable or advanced than it is now, with modern day goalies expected to act as the first stage of a team’s attack in addition to keeping the ball out of the goal. The new breed of goalkeepers like Allison and Ederson are expecting to be as good with the ball at their feet as the outfield players, with distribution extremely important in keeping possession of the ball. With that in mind, we decided to take a look at the ten best young goalkeepers in the world.

 

10 best young goalkeepers in the world

 

Marcus Dewhurst (Sheffield United)

Sheffield United reinforced after losing Dean Henderson, whose superb two year loan spell from Manchester United came to an end, by signing relegated Bournemouth’s save machine Aaron Ramsdale. Like Ramsdale and Henderson, Dewhurst is a seasoned England youth international who is currently on loan at Carlisle from Sheffield United. His potential is through the roof, and the England U18’s squad went mad when he scored a viral winning goal vs Spain late in the game!

 

Marcelo Pitaluga (Liverpool)

Having enjoyed such incredible success with their current Brazilian goalkeepers, Liverpool decided to recruit 17-year-old Marcelo Pitaluga from Fluminense. He follows fellow Brazilians Gabriel Pereira and Gabriel Brazao, who could one day be rivals for the Brazilian gloves, by moving to Europe. Pitaluga’s German nationality aided his early purchase in terms of gaining a work permit and Allison’s mentorship could be huge for his formative years.

 

Zan-Luk Leban (Everton)

Another goalkeeper who recently moved to Premier League by joining Everton came over from Slovenia via Poland. Leban had been at Barcelona’s academy and previously had trials at Manchester United prior to being snapped up by the Liverpudlian club. Starting out this season for the Under 18s, he boasts sound fundamentals and grace around the 6 yard area.

 

Kazuki Fujita (Albirex Niigata)

Fujita is a wildcard prospect from J-league 2 club Albirex Niigata who is turning heads almost purely based on his insane distribution, which is rapidly becoming a goalkeepers most prized attribute at present. Not too shabby in general shot stopping or rushing out, Fujita can create scoring chances from nowhere with the ball in hands or from ground kicks. The variety, distance and accuracy of his passing is a sight to behold taking pages out of the FC Barcelona sweeper-keeper Marc-Andre Ter Stegen’s distribution manual by being able to spot gaps in between the lines and exploiting them with pinpoint execution.

 

Joaquin Blazquez (CA Talleres)

Argentine wonderkid Blazquez is currently at CA Talleres after a loan at Valencia CF in Spain. At 19-years-old he is already huge at six foot three but what he lacks in mobility he makes up for in presence in the box and a commanding personality. A solid overall game with many years to grow, surely he will get another chance to return to Europe in the near future, especially as he holds an Italian passport.

 

Taha Mourid (Wydad Casablanca)

Taha impressed for Morocco under 17’s in local competitions and is now knocking at the door at top Moroccan side Wydad Casablanca. A certainty to play in the 2021 AFCON U20 in neighbouring Mauritania, he is one of a small handful of North African goalkeepers drawing attention from Europe, mainly France. Morocco’s full national team manager recently brought him in to train with the top 2 in the country, clearly expecting him to be in the squad in the near future.

 

Maarten Vandevoordt (KRC Genk)

Following in the footsteps of Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois from KRC Genk, Maarten has a huge shoes to fill. With two games under his belt for the 1st team this season at just 18-years-old, he looks sure to be a contender for future national honours with Belgium. Vandevoordt was once ex-Liverpool Simon Mignolet’s neighbour and is the youngest Champions League goalkeeper in history.

 

Matvey Safonov (FC Krasnodar)

Slightly older than many on the list at 21, Matvey has been main-lined in to pole position in the race for Russia’s number 1 goalkeeper spot. Coming through the revitalised Krasnodar setup, which has seen them consistently appear in the Champions League, Safonov has gained vital experience while putting in stunning displays at the same time. Fast-tracked through the U21 team, he will soon be Russia’s outright number 1 stopper.

 

Berke Ozer (Fenerbahce)

Ozer is on loan at Belgium Jupiler league side Westerlo, from Turkish giants Fenerbahce. He is an academy product of the fantastic Izmiri based club Altinordu who are one of the most prolific clubs currently producing spades of Turkish youth international talent. Ozer was linked with Manchester City alongside teammate Ravil Tagir before moving to the Turkish giants. He is a brilliant all round keeper at only 20 years old.

 

Emmanuel Ochoa (San Jose Earthquakes)

California born American-Mexican Emmanuel Ochoa shares more than just a famous name with Mexican superstar GK Guillherme Ochoa. The 15-year-old was signed by San Jose Earthquakes at 14, making him the second youngest player to sign a full contract since the infamous Freddy Adu. Representing both US and Mexican youth national teams, Ochoa already stands at 6 foot 2 inches with a mature skill-set to call on.

 

Konstantinos Tzolakis (Olympiakos)

The 17-year-old 6’3 colossus is already starting for huge Athens based stalwarts Olympiakos. Somewhat of a throwback who struggles with the ball at his feet at the moment, he brings solid fundamentals and an imposing presence between the sticks. His size and control give him the confidence to come off his line, which is surely a big reason why the management in Greece are open to playing in full competition.

 


 

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