In all my years of watching and coaching football, the players I’ve generally had the most respect and admiration for, particularly at grassroots level, have been the goalkeepers. Pulling on the gloves, getting ready to dive all over some mud bath of a penalty area and with so much resting on them, I think that the goalkeeper’s position is possibly the most misunderstood position in junior football, but also one of the most exciting and rewarding roles you could ever play.
When I watch Premier League matches on TV, and see incredible goalkeepers like Alisson and Ederson making spectacular saves, controlling their area with confidence and starting attacks with pinpoint passes, they make it all look so simple. But at our local parks and playing fields, young goalkeepers often face very different challenges. They might have to deal with muddy goalmouths and often uneven surfaces that make the ball play tricks. Yet these passionate young players keep showing up, ready to throw themselves in the way of the ball because they love their unique role in the team.
Being a goalkeeper isn't always the most popular choice. Lots of young players dream of scoring spectacular goals like Erling Haaland or dribbling past defenders like Mo Salah. Sometimes, players end up in goal simply because nobody else wants to do it, or because they're told they're "not mobile enough" to play outfield. But goalkeeping isn't just about standing between the posts and hoping you get in the way of the ball. It's an art form that requires incredible skills, quick thinking and loads of courage.
When I see a young goalkeeper make an amazing save during a match and their teammates rushing to celebrate with them, the parents cheering from the sidelines, I’m so pleased because what many people don't see is the hours of practise, the bruises from diving on hard ground and the mental strength it takes to bounce back after conceding a goal that sits behind that moment. Every save, every catch, every brave dive at a striker's feet is the result of dedication and hard work. Go to any professional or Academy training ground and watch the goalkeepers at work and you’ll see them working harder physically than just about any other player.
Set apart in their different coloured kit, goalkeepers wear the symbol of the unique responsibility they carry. The only player who can use their hands, the only one who can see the entire game unfold in front of them and often the only one who can spot dangers before they happen. It's like being a defensive coach with a perspective that none of your teammates have.
Being a goalkeeper teaches you things that go way beyond football. You learn about responsibility because when you're the last line of defence so much rests with you. You have to be brave and make quick decisions and learn about leadership because you need to organise your defence and communicate with your teammates. Most importantly, you learn about resilience, because undoubtedly you'll concede goals, even the very best goalkeepers of all time do that, but it's how you bounce back that really matters.
One of the biggest challenges young goalkeepers face is getting proper training at grassroots level. With limited time and resources for team training it’s often the case that goalkeepers get lost in their sessions. While outfield players practise passing, shooting, dribbling and team play goalkeepers often find themselves just standing in goal while others take shots at them. Good goalkeeper training should include things like positioning, footwork, handling, diving technique and distribution. These skills are just as important as developing passing and dribbling skills for outfield players.
More and more grassroots clubs are recognising how important it is to develop their keepers and how crucial goalkeeper training is. Some clubs now have special goalkeeper coaches who understand the unique challenges of the position and put keepers from different age groups together for specific sessions. They teach young keepers not just how to make saves, but also how to deal with back passes, organise their defence and start counter attacks with good throws or kicks. This is brilliant because modern goalkeepers need to be complete footballers, the 11th outfield player in possession, not just someone who can catch the ball.
I find it interesting that goalkeepers often become great leaders. From their unique position, they can see everything happening on the pitch. They have to be vocal, giving instructions to their defenders and organising the team during open play and set pieces. Many goalkeepers make great team captains because they developed these leadership skills early in their careers. Even if you don't stay in goal forever, these communication skills will help you in any position you play.
The mental side of goalkeeping is perhaps the most challenging part. When an outfield player makes a mistake the game usually continues, and they have a chance to make up for it right away. But when a goalkeeper makes a mistake, it often leads to a goal and everyone remembers it. This is why goalkeepers need to be mentally strong and have short memories! They need to be able to park poor moments, forget about mistakes quickly and focus on the next save.
But this mental strength often becomes a superpower and young goalkeepers learn early on how to handle pressure, how to stay focused even when the ball is at the other end of the pitch and how to keep their cool in difficult situations. These are skills that help not just in football but in school, other sports and life in general.
Clearly, one of the most rewarding things about being a goalkeeper is the sense of achievement when you make a crucial save or keep a clean sheet. There's nothing quite like the feeling of making a diving save in the last minute to protect your team's lead, or successfully catching a high cross under pressure. These moments make all the hard work and practise worthwhile.
At our club we're seeing more young players choosing to become goalkeepers because they want to, not because they have to, as may have happened previously. Training methods are getting better, with investment into specialised equipment like rebound walls and reaction lights to help keepers improve their skills. Even video analysis, once only available to professional clubs, is becoming more common in grassroots football, helping young keepers learn from their performances.
Goalkeeper’s play in one of the most challenging and rewarding positions in football. Whether they're making spectacular saves or bravely collecting crosses, they're heroes in their own right and they deserve our respect and support. They might not score the winning goal, but they might save it and that's just as important. They're not just goalkeepers, but the foundation upon which successful teams are built, the last line of defence and the first line of attack. They are rightly proud of their unique position, and should remember that some of the greatest moments in football history have been created by brave goalkeepers just like them.
