The 20 Best Premier League Goalkeepers of All Time

Being a goalkeeper is no easy task.

Produce a world-class save to secure a vital win and you’ll earn the applause—briefly. Make a routine mistake, the kind every outfield player regularly gets away with, and you’ll never hear the end of it.

That’s why being recognised as one of the very best is such a rare achievement. It demands years of consistency at the highest level, mental resilience and the ability to deliver when the pressure is at its peak.

With that in mind, Sports Illustrated ranks the 20 greatest goalkeepers in Premier League history—those who set the standard between the sticks in the world’s most-watched league.

20. Jussi Jaaskelainen

A true Barclaysman if there ever was one, Jussi Jääskeläinen was the rock between the sticks for Bolton Wanderers’ memorable sides of the 2000s.

While the likes of Jay-Jay Okocha, Iván Campo and Kevin Davies dazzled outfield, the Finnish keeper kept things secure at the back. His cat-like reflexes were every bit as vital to the club’s remarkable achievements, including two European qualifications, during the decade.

19. Emi Martinez

Emiliano Martínez is a World Cup winner. | Neal Simpson/Sportsphoto/Allstar/Getty Images

Very few Premier League goalkeepers own a World Cup winner’s medal, and even fewer can claim to have been the standout performer of the entire tournament.

Emiliano Martínez is the rare exception.

His career reached a turning point with a 2020 move to Aston Villa at age 27, and he has since proven his elite status. Martínez’s charismatic presence and high-energy style have been the bedrock of Villa’s transformation, helping elevate the club from top-flight survivalists to genuine European and title contenders.

18. Tim Howard

Tim Howard truly aged like a fine wine.

Once considered a flop during his early years at Manchester United, a move to Everton in 2006 proved to be the making of him. Away from the relentless scrutiny of Old Trafford, the American established himself as one of the Premier League’s most consistent keepers for the best part of a decade.

He made 354 top-flight appearances between the sticks for the Toffees and kept an impressive 116 clean sheets, helping the club regularly punch above their weight.

17. Mark Schwarzer

One of a select few players—and one of only two goalkeepers—to surpass 500 Premier League appearances, Mark Schwarzer was a mainstay of the top flight. While he spent the bulk of his career at Middlesbrough and Fulham, he also provided vital veteran cover during spells with Chelsea and Leicester City.

A towering and intimidating presence, the Australian brought immense assurance to his back four through his command of the air and his dominance in one-on-one situations.

His heroics were instrumental in guiding both Boro and Fulham to unlikely European finals. He also holds a unique piece of history: Being part of back-to-back Premier League-winning squads with Chelsea (2014–15) and Leicester City (2015–16), remarkably achieving the feat without playing a single league match for either in their title-winning seasons.

16. Neville Southall

Neville Southall only played five full seasons in the Premier League during its early years for Everton and was arguably past his peak, but even in his twilight, he remained a maverick.

His unorthodox, acrobatic style—shaped by studying books on boxing and golf—produced spectacular saves on a regular basis, making him a sheer joy to watch.

It wouldn’t fly in today’s game, but you’d struggle to find a modern goalkeeper who didn’t idolise him growing up.

15. Thibaut Courtois

The heir to Petr Čech’s throne at Chelsea, Thibaut Courtois spent just four years in the Premier League—but in that time he won two league titles and claimed a Golden Glove.

Chelsea have yet to find a goalkeeper of his calibre since, while the towering Belgian has gone on to test the structural integrity of his trophy cabinet with domestic and European titles for Real Madrid.

14. Nigel Martyn

Perhaps it’s due to his understated demeanour, or simply the passage of time, but few would guess that former Leeds United, Everton and Crystal Palace stopper Nigel Martyn boasts the sixth-most Premier League clean sheets of all time. With 137 shutouts, he remarkably sits ahead of legends like Peter Schmeichel and Edwin van der Sar in the rankings.

Britain’s first million-pound goalkeeper was one of the safest pairs of hands in England during his career—whether as the backbone of that exciting Leeds side that marched through Europe or proving his class well into his late 30s at Everton.

13. David James

No goalkeeper in Premier League history has made more appearances than David James, who featured 572 times across spells with Liverpool, Aston Villa, West Ham United, Manchester City and Portsmouth during his long and distinguished career.

Renowned for his outstanding shot-stopping, booming long throws and ability to marshal his defence, James was a valuable presence wherever he played—even if made the odd howler.

12. Jens Lehmann

Jens Lehmann set the bar high in his very first Premier League season in 2003–04, winning the Golden Glove as Arsenal went unbeaten on their way to the title.

The veteran German—renowned not only for his shot-stopping and command of the air but also for his cantankerous personality—never lifted the league trophy again. However, he remained a reliable presence between the sticks over the next four seasons, most notably during Arsenal’s run to the 2006 Champions League final.

He later departed for VfB Stuttgart, though he briefly came out of retirement in 2011 to play one final game for the Gunners amid an injury crisis.

11. Shay Given

Shay Given wasn’t particularly tall for a goalkeeper, standing at 6'1", but his height was rarely an issue—save for the occasional battle against a physical cross. In fact, his stature was arguably what made him so elite.

With a low centre of gravity and a lean frame, Given possessed an explosive speed that allowed him to smother onrushing attackers before they could set themselves. On the goal line, his agility and lightning-fast reflexes were peerless; he could shift his weight and change direction in a way taller, heavier keepers simply couldn't.

His longevity is a testament to his quality, as the Irishman remains Newcastle United’s all-time record appearance maker in the Premier League.

10. Brad Friedel

No player in Premier League history has made more consecutive appearances than Brad Friedel’s remarkable tally of 310. The American shot-stopper remained a No. 1 well into his thirties, notably at Tottenham Hotspur, having previously enjoyed spells with Liverpool, Blackburn Rovers and Aston Villa.

Longevity alone doesn’t define his legacy, though.

Friedel was a superb goalkeeper and the very definition of consistency, recording stellar—at times league-leading—clean sheet totals despite spending most of his career outside the traditional elite, with his goal frequently under siege.

9. Joe Hart

The likes of Sergio Agüero, David Silva and Vincent Kompany rightly get the credit for transforming Manchester City from Premier League strugglers into the powerhouse they are today.

Joe Hart is often the forgotten hero, but make no mistake: Without the Englishman—who remarkably rose from non-league football—between the sticks, that turnaround may not have come so quickly. He kept 127 clean sheets in 340 games for City, including 17 in the 2011–12 season alone, enough to win the Golden Glove as the club claimed their maiden Premier League title.

8. Pepe Reina

Pepe Reina celebrating. — Pepe Reina hit a century of clean sheets after playing for Liverpool. | Andrew Powell/Liverpool FC/Getty Images

Of the 17 goalkeepers in Premier League history to record 100 or more clean sheets in the English top flight, none can match Pepe Reina’s save ratio.

The former Liverpool number one kept 136 clean sheets in just 297 appearances for the Reds—a remarkable rate of 45.79%.

Comfortable with the ball at his feet and blessed with razor-sharp reflexes, the Spaniard never quite lifted the silverware his talent deserved on Merseyside—often hindered by an inconsistent back four in front of him. Nevertheless, he remains both a Liverpool icon and a Premier League hero.

7. Ederson

Ederson Utd match — Ederson was a pioneer. | IMAGO / News Images

The term “pioneer” is bandied around far too often, but it certainly applies to former Manchester City goalkeeper Ederson. He fundamentally changed how goalkeepers are expected to play across the globe.

Before the Brazilian arrived at the Etihad, the Premier League—and arguably the world—hadn’t seen distribution quite like his. He made a habit of pinging pinpoint long balls for fun, roaming out of his box toward the halfway line to orchestrate build-up play and daring to dribble in and around his own penalty area.

While it didn’t always go right, because of his impact, modern keepers are now expected to be elite distributors who are comfortable with the ball at their feet, rather than just traditional shot-stoppers—though it’s worth noting he was exceptionally good at that, too.

6. David de Gea

Amid a largely underwhelming era for Manchester United, David de Gea was a rare beacon of excellence. At his peak, the Spaniard could credibly lay claim to being the best goalkeeper in world football, routinely producing extraordinary saves that preserved points his side had little right to claim.

Time and again, he masked the team’s shortcomings with jaw-dropping reflex stops and gravity-defying interventions.

His consistency was reflected in six Premier League Team of the Season selections across a seven-year spell, along with two Golden Gloves—an impressive return given the instability in front of him.

5. David Seaman

You don’t earn a nickname like “Safe Hands” without being an exceptional goalkeeper—unless, of course, you’re a surgeon or a particularly careful chef. For David Seaman, the moniker was a testament to his absolute reliability between the sticks during his legendary tenure at Arsenal.

While he avoided the flashy theatrics often associated with the position, Seaman was the ultimate efficiency expert. He was a rock-solid shot-stopper who remained calm under pressure, yet possessed the explosive athleticism to pull off the spectacular when the moment demanded it.

Beyond his physical saves, his booming Yorkshire voice was a tactical weapon, allowing him to command and organise his back four with authority. By shouting, leading, and shot-stopping his way to three league titles, Seaman cemented his status as the gold standard for the traditional English No. 1.

4. Edwin van der Sar

Eyebrows were raised when Sir Alex Ferguson signed 34-year-old Edwin van der Sar in 2005. At the time, fans and pundits alike wondered if the Dutchman still possessed the quality or the longevity required to be Manchester United’s undisputed No. 1.

He silenced those doubts emphatically.

By the time he departed six years later, he had secured four Premier League titles, two Golden Gloves and three inclusions in the PFA Team of the Year. Most famously, his heroics led United to Champions League glory in 2008. He left Old Trafford not just as a veteran signing, but as a club legend—widely regarded as one of the finest to ever grace the sticks in Manchester.

3. Alisson Becker

Since arriving at Anfield in 2018, Alisson Becker has frequently acted as the literal last line of defence, dragging the Reds out of looming disaster.

From producing a string of world-class saves in crucial Champions League nights to his heroic penalty stop in the 2022 FA Cup final, Alisson has a knack for delivering when the stakes are highest. Even in an injury-hit 2019–20 campaign, he recorded 13 clean sheets to help steer Liverpool to their first-ever Premier League title. And, of course, there is the legendary 95th-minute header against West Brom in 2021—a moment of pure drama that kept Liverpool’s top four hopes alive.

When it comes to one-on-one situations, his composure and positioning make him perhaps the finest the Premier League has ever seen.

2. Peter Schmeichel

Of all the goalkeepers on this list, none were quite as formidable when it came to the pure art of making saves than Peter Schmeichel. The Great Dane moved in ways that defied logic, somehow contorting his body to keep the ball out when a goal seemed certain.

Quick off his line and an imposing physical and vocal presence, Schmeichel was a constant difference-maker during Manchester United’s most successful modern era, helping the club to five league titles, three FA Cups and the Champions League.

Oh, and he had a habit of popping up with a goal when needed, too—finishing his career with 11 to his name for club and country.

1. Petr Cech

Petr Čech — Čech was the second goalkeeper inducted into the Premier League Hall of Fame. | Richard Sellers/Sportsphoto/Allstar/Getty Images

With the most clean sheets in Premier League history—achieved despite far fewer appearances than his closest rivals, who are still well behind—the fewest goals conceded in a single season (just 15 in 2004–05), and four Premier League titles with Chelsea, Petr Čech is, by a clear margin, the league’s greatest-ever goalkeeper.

What’s even more remarkable is that he maintained that level—both statistically and subjectively—after moving to Arsenal, where he no longer had the protection of the league’s best-ever defence.

Tall, agile, strong and brave, Čech simply had no weaknesses.

The 20 Best Premier League Goalkeepers of All Time—Ranked