Who are the best goalkeepers ever to grace England's top flight? Here are the custodians who have stood out in over three decades at the top
(Image credit: Future)
So who are the best Premier League goalkeepers ever?
It's a tough question. In an ever-changing 30+ years of Premier League action, goalkeepers remain one of the most undervalued and important members of each team.
Once solely judged on their ability to prevent goals, each man between the sticks is now expected to play a crucial part in the attacking third, contributing to the build up of moves with managers now holding on-the-ball ability in equal regard to shot stopping.
It certainly wasn't an easy decision. This is one position in which there is no short supply of brilliance – and there never has been in the top flight of English football.
From technical wizards to heroic shot-stoppers, here's the greatest 20 goalkeepers in Premier League history.
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The 20 best Premier League goalkeepers ever: 20. Tim Howard (Manchester United, Everton)
Howard has cemented his place as a Goodison Park hero (Image credit: Getty Images)
The understated Everton hero led the way for a weirdly specific era of bald American goalkeepers in the 2000s and early 2010s alongside Brad Friedel and Brad Guzan, but that's besides the point.
Howard featured regularly for Manchester United amid a hectic period of goalkeeping at Old Trafford before Edwin van der Saar's arrival, later joining Everton where he would cement himself as one of the most consistent stoppers in the league.
Howard made almost 400 league appearances across the two clubs, helping the Toffees to regularly punch above their weight in the fight for European football under manager David Moyes.
19. Mark Schwarzer (Middlesbrough, Fulham, Chelsea, Leicester)
Mark Schwarzer in goal for Fulham (Image credit: Getty Images)
The towering Australian spent almost 20 years in England's top flight across four different clubs, making north of 500 Premier League appearances.
Schwarzer helped Middlesbrough to an unlikely UEFA Cup final in 2006, even braving a fractured cheekbone to play with a protective mask for the latter part of the season.
He then repeated the feat in 2010 with Fulham, however once again came up short in a European final. His career wound down with stints at Chelsea and Leicester before retiring with 152 clean sheets to his name.
18. Emiliano Martinez (Arsenal, Aston Villa)
Martinez's quality between the posts in undeniable (Image credit: Getty Images)
Not many Premier League goalkeepers can boast a World Cup winners medal, even fewer can say they were arguably the highest-performing player on a World Cup-winning side.
Martinez's career didn't really take off until his 2020 move to Aston Villa, aged 27, but since then his abilities have been undeniable.
Martinez has provided a solid foundation for Aston Villa to impose themself once more in the top flight after an underwhelming decade for the west midlands outfit, even helping them to an unlikely top four finish in the 2023/24 season.
17. Thibaut Courtois (Chelsea)
Thibaut Courtois was phenomenal at Chelsea (Image credit: Getty)
Arguably one of the greatest goalkeepers to ever live, Thibaut Courtois' remarkable career has yielded six league titles across England and Spain, as well as two Champions League titles in the Spanish capital.
The Belgian spent his early years at Chelsea, making 126 appearances across a seven-year spell at the Bridge. He won a Premier League title with none other than Petr Cech as his understudy before graduating as the side's number one in their 2017 success.
16. Jordan Pickford (Sunderland, Everton)
Jordan Pickford: far more than a summer tournament expert (Image credit: PA Images)
Jordan Pickford's career is widely regarded as one dominated by international performances, having helped England to two major finals in four years as number one.
However, has commitment to Everton in a torrid period for the club as a whole has been commendable, with his own individual brilliance saving the Toffees from dropping into the Championship on a number of occasions over the past few years.
15. Nigel Martyn (Crystal Palace, Leeds, Everton)
Nigel Martyn in action for Crystal Palace (Image credit: Getty Images)
Arguably the greatest goalkeeper to never win a major trophy in England, Nigel Martyn's consistency and ability for the spectacular means his inclusion in a no-brainer.
Martyn's 137 clean sheets in just 372 appearances place him sixth in the Premier League all-time clean sheet list, a worthy recognition for a career which often slips under the radar.
14. Kasper Schmeichel (Leicester City, Manchester City)
Kasper Schmeichel is one of two sons to have won Premier League medals along with their father (Image credit: PA)
It would be impossible not to include a member of Leicester City's title-winning squad, particularly one who played every minute of the famous campaign.
Perhaps the biggest testament to Schmeichel's career is that he was able to step firmly out of the shadow of his father, Peter, making almost 300 appearances in England's top flight across an eight-year stay in the East Midlands.
13. Pepe Reina (Liverpool)
Pepe Reina was a force of nature on Merseyside (Image credit: PA)
Liverpool hero Pepe Reina helped usher in a new era of goalkeepers in the Premier League as ability with the ball at your feet became more important. A step away from the physically imperious stoppers before him, Reina's agility and reflexes made up for a perceived lack of height (despite standing at 6ft 2!!!).
Despite never winning the league, the Spaniard sits seventh in the all-time clean sheet list. He came agonisingly close to lifting the title in 2009.
12. Brad Friedel (Liverpool, Blackburn Rovers, Aston Villa, Tottenham Hotspur)
Brad Friedel holds the record for most consecutive appearances in the Premier League (Image credit: Getty Images)
Brad Friedel's consistency and longevity across stints at some of England's biggest sides grants the American a place in this list. Despite struggling early in his Liverpool career, Friedel quickly became a favourite at every club he went to after establishing himself as one of the league's top goalkeepers at Blackburn Rovers.
450 appearances and 132 clean sheets later, Friedel is undoubtedly a Premier League icon and help market the league to a fairly new American audience. He's also one of six keepers to score in the division and set a record for consecutive appearances in the competition.
11. Shay Given (Blackburn Rovers, Newcastle United, Manchester City, Aston Villa, Stoke City)
Shay Given cemented himself as Newcastle's greatest goalkeeper of the Premier League era during his 12-year stay on Tyneside.
The Irishman made 450 Premier League appearances across five different sides before bringing an end to a 23-year long career in the top flight back in 2017.
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James Ridge is a freelance journalist based in the UK. He recently spent time with The United Stand as an online news editor and has covered the beautiful game from England’s eighth tier all the way to the Premier League.
