Petr Cech – Chelsea’s Goalkeeper
Petr ?ech (born 20 May 1982 in Plze?, Czechoslovakia, now Czech Republic) is a Czech international football goalkeeper who is currently contracted to English Premier League football club Chelsea, for whom he has played since July 2004. Petr ?ech has previously played for Viktoria Plze?, Chmel Blšany, Sparta Prague, and Rennes. He was voted into the all-star team of Euro 2004 after helping his country reach the semi-finals.[1] ?ech also received the individual award of Best Goalkeeper in the 2004/2005, 2006/2007 and 2007/2008 seasons of the UEFA Champions League. In addition, he was named in the FIFPro and UEFA Champions League teams of the season in 2006.
He currently holds one record: a Czech professional league record of not conceding a goal in 855 competitive minutes (he previously held a record for the most clean sheets accomplished in a single Premier League season (25), set during Chelsea’s 2004–05 title-winning campaign). He also has a club record at his former team Sparta Praha, having gone 928 minutes unbeaten in all competitions in 2001–2002, when his unbeaten run in Czech league competition was combined with his performances in the UEFA Champions League. During the 2004–05 season, ?ech went 1,025 minutes without conceding a goal – a former Premier League record until Edwin van der Sar of Manchester United broke it on 27 January 2009.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 20 May 1982 (1982-05-20) (age 27) | ||
| Place of birth | Plze?, Czechoslovakia | ||
| Height | 1.96 m (6 ft 5 in) | ||
| Playing position | Goalkeeper | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | Chelsea | ||
| Number | 1 | ||
Source: English Premier League Football Club, Chelsea F.C., Goalkeeper, Petr Cech information at wikipedia.org.
Paul Robinson – Blackburn Rovers Goalkeeper
Paul Robinson – Blackburn Rovers F.C. Goalkeeper
Paul William Robinson (born 15 October 1979 in Beverley,[2] East Riding of Yorkshire) is an English football goalkeeper who plays for Blackburn Rovers. He is an experienced international goalkeeper.
He started his career with Leeds United, where he played 95 league games and also scored a goal in a League Cup tie. In 2004, following Leeds’ relegation from the Premier League, he moved to Tottenham Hotspur. He played 137 games with Spurs, scoring another goal, before he was signed by Blackburn Rovers in 2008. He has also earned more than 40 caps for his country.
Paul Robinson’s Personal information
Full name : Paul William Robinson
Date of birth : 15 October 1979 (1979-10-15) (age 29)
Place of birth : Beverley, England
Height : 1.93 m (6 ft 4 in)[1]
Playing position : Goalkeeper
Club information : Blackburn Rovers F.C.
League : Barclays English Premier League Football Club
Club career
Leeds United
Having come through the youth ranks at Leeds United, Robinson made his debut against Chelsea in 1998, keeping a clean sheet. In the 2003-04 season he scored his first professional goal against Swindon Town in the closing moments of a League Cup game, forcing extra time. The game went to penalties, two of which were saved by Robinson to help his team to victory.[3] However, he faced much worse times in the Premier league, conceding 77 goals in 36 games.[4] Despite this somewhat dubious record Tottenham Hotspur’s Director of Football David Pleat was not dissuaded in his pursuit of Robinson.
Tottenham Hotspur
Robinson transferred to Tottenham Hotspur in May, 2004, for a fee of £1,500,000.
On March 17, 2007, Robinson scored the second goal of his professional career, in a Premier League game against Watford at White Hart Lane. He took a free-kick from just outside of his own penalty area (85 metres, or 93 yards from the opposition goal) and the ball bounced over the head of Watford goalkeeper Ben Foster, and into goal.[5] He became the third goalkeeper in Premier League history (excluding own goals) to score after Peter Schmeichel for Aston Villa in 2001 and Brad Friedel for Blackburn Rovers in 2004, although of the three only Robinson’s team went on to win the match. He was also the third goalscoring goalkeeper in the English league in the 2006-07 season, following goals from Gavin Ward for Tranmere Rovers and Mark Crossley for Sheffield United.
Robinson captained the team in their 1-0 Football League Cup quarter-final win over Southend United,[6] and in their 0-0 FA Cup third round draw at Cardiff City as Ledley King and Robbie Keane were both injured.[7]
Robinson collected the first major trophy of his career in Tottenham’s 2-1 victory over Chelsea in the 2008 League Cup final.[8]
Blackburn Rovers
He joined Blackburn Rovers on 25 July 2008, for a fee of £3.5 million on a five-year deal, making him Paul Ince’s first signing at the club.[9] On July 29th, it was confirmed during an interview that he would be wearing the Blackburn No.1 jersey left behind by the departure of Brad Friedel. He ironically replaced a goalkeeper who scored for his club (Friedel) bearing in mind he has also scored for his two previous clubs, a feat that is very unique and unusual for goalkeepers in football. On 30th July, he made his Blackburn Rovers debut in a 2-1 victory against Northwich Victoria. He is currently the first choice goalkeeper in the Blackburn squad.
International career
Robinson has played 41 times for England. He was part of the Euro 2004 squad, as understudy to David James, making no appearances in the tournament. In the subsequent qualifying campaign for the 2006 World Cup he replaced James as England’s first choice goalkeeper.
At the 2006 FIFA World Cup, Robinson was named in England’s World Cup squad for the finals in Germany and was an ever present in England’s campaign, keeping clean sheets in four out of five games that he played. He conceded no goals to Paraguay and Trinidad and Tobago during the group stage. After the opening World Cup game against Paraguay, when his counterpart Justo Villar was injured 7 minutes into the match, ending his tournament early, Robinson sent Villar his gloves as a gesture of good will after England won 1-0.[10] During the knockout rounds, he kept clean sheets against Ecuador in the round of 16 and Portugal in the quarter-finals, although the latter prevailed 3-1 in the penalty shoot-out to end England’s campaign.
On 11 October 2006, during a Euro 2008 qualifier against Croatia, an unexpected bobble on a backpass from Gary Neville caused Robinson to miss the ball completely as he tried to clear it out of the penalty area, resulting in an own goal to put Croatia 2-0 up.[11] Robinson later described the incident as a freak.[12] On 22 August 2007, Robinson made a mistake to gift Germany their first goal in England’s first loss at the new Wembley Stadium, with a final scoreline of 2-1. He was substituted at half-time by James.[13]
Robinson was not included in the squad for new England manager Fabio Capello’s first game in charge, however he was included in his second squad for the match against France due to an injury to fellow ex-Leeds United goalkeeper Scott Carson.
Source: Paul Robison, Goalkeeper of Blackburn Rovers F.C., Barclay English Premier League Football Club information at wikipedia.org
Robert Green – West Ham United Goalkeeper
Robert Green – Goalkeeper of West Ham United F.C.
Robert Paul Green (born 18 January 1980 in Chertsey, Surrey) is an English professional footballer who currently plays for West Ham United as a goalkeeper. He has made one appearance for England.
Personal information
Full name : Robert Paul Green
Date of birth : 18 January 1980 (1980-01-18) (age 28)
Place of birth : Chertsey, England
Height : 1.91 m (6 ft 3 in)
Playing position : Goalkeeper
Club information : West Ham United F.C.
League : Barclays English Premier League Football Club
West Ham United Football Club
Green signed a four year deal with West Ham[5] where he teamed up with former Norwich striker Dean Ashton who had been sold to West Ham in January 2006. Green made his debut for West Ham on 22 October 2006 in a 1–0 defeat against Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane.[6] Two of his best performances were when West Ham won 1–0 against Arsenal at the Emirates[7] and against Manchester United where he helped West Ham United to a 1–0 win,[8] which preserved West Ham’s Premier League status. Green kept 9 clean sheets in 26 appearances during the league campaign.
In the 2007–08 season season for West Ham United, Green saved the first three penalties taken against him. The first, against Kevin Doyle of Reading, the second, Benjani of Portsmouth in injury time, the third from Tottenham’s Jermain Defoe, again in injury time and the fourth being from Cristiano Ronaldo of Manchester United who put his wide. The streak was ended by James McFadden of Birmingham on 9 February 2008. A compilation Video shows some of the saves: http://www.metacafe.com/watch/1408301/robert_green/
Despite his good form, Green did not make Fabio Capello’s first England team in February 2008. Green showed a sense of humour about the international situation sporting gloves with ‘England’s No.6′ embroidered on them.[9]
At the end of the 2007–08 season, Green had played in every Premier League game for West Ham that season. In May 2008 Green became the 51st player to be awarded the Hammer of the Year.[10] Despite this fact, Green insists that he feels “completely undervalued” by the management at West Ham. The outburst stems from the fact that he believes he receives considerably less money than other, less prominent players, such as Ljungberg and Ashton, both of whom played very few matches last season. West Ham have rebutted this claim, stating that they “rewarded him with a long-term deal” for being their first-choice keeper. In addition, they state that Summer 2008 “remains the appropriate time to review” his contract. The club state that they have no intentions to place him on the transfer list.
Source: For more information on Robert Green, Goalkeeper of West Ham F.C., Barclays English Premier League Football Club, visit wikipedia.org
Shay Given – Newcastle United Goalkeeper
John James Shay Given – The Goalkeeper of Newcastle United F.C.
Séamus John James “Shay” Given (born 20 April 1976 in Lifford, County Donegal) is an Irish goalkeeper who currently plays for Newcastle United and the Republic of Ireland. He is the vice-captain of both his country and club. He has been named in the PFA Team of the Year twice (in 2002 and 2006) and has been voted Newcastle Player of the Year as well as FAI Player of the Year in 2006.
For Ireland, Given has been capped 89 times; a record for a goalkeeper. He has been the first choice goalkeeper since he made his debut, including the 2002 FIFA World Cup.
Personal information
Full name : Séamus John James Given
Date of birth : 20 April 1976 (1976-04-20) (age 32)
Place of birth : Lifford, Ireland
Height : 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)
Playing position : Goalkeeper
Club information : Newcastle United Football Club
League : Barclays English Premier League Football Club
Newcastle United Football Club
Given, signed for a fee of £1.5 million in 1997, was one of the first signings for Newcastle United of then-new manager Dalglish.
Given immediately established himself in the first team, beating fellow goalkeepers Pavel Srní?ek, Shaka Hislop and Steve Harper to the position. He played in the 1998 FA Cup Final and then missed out on the 1999 FA Cup Final when Harper was preferred. He would later regain his place in the team from Harper by the end of the 1999–2000 season,
Given later lost his place in the Newcastle team to Harper again, this time due to injury, he subsequently handed in a transfer request. The request was more a protest rather than a genuine wish to ever leave the club. The club rejected the request and, as it happened, Harper injured himself in training, enabling Given to regain his place.
In the 2001–02 season, Given played in every Premiership match and was named in the PFA Premiership Team of the Season. He competed in the 2002 World Cup in South Korea/Japan, but could not prevent the Republic of Ireland being eliminated by Spain after a penalty shoot-out.
Given warming up for Newcastle in 2007On 30 April 2003, Given became Newcastle’s most capped player when he won his 41st cap of the season, overtaking Alf McMichael’s previous record. [1] He ended 2003 as the holder of the Premiership’s record for the most consecutive appearances record, now surrendered to Frank Lampard of Chelsea.
Given became Newcastle’s most experienced European performer in the game against Bnei Sakhnin on 16 September 2004.
Given was named in the Premiership’s team of the year for his consistent performances throughout the 2005–06 season.
Before the start of the 2006–07 campaign, Given signed a new contract with Newcastle signaling his intention to see his career out with them. On 17 September 2006 Given suffered a one-centimeter tear in his bowel after a heavy challenge from West Ham United striker Marlon Harewood. Doctors likened the injury to one more likely to happen in a car crash. [2] Then manager Glenn Roeder bought a temporary cover goalkeeper in the form of ex-Newcastle veteran Srní?ek to cover Harper, and rookie Tim Krul played a full match in Newcastle’s 0–1 UEFA Cup win at Palermo on 2 November. Given returned on 18 November with an impressive performance in Newcastle’s 1–1 Premier League draw at Arsenal. Given’s 2007–08 season was prematurely ended by injury in February when he had an occurrence of an old groin injury in the game with Manchester United.
Source: Shay Given, Goalkeeper of Newcastle United F.C., Barclays English Premier League Football Club information at wikipedia.org
Steve Simonsen – Goalkeeper – Stock City F.C.
Steve Simonsen – Goalkeeper – Stock City Football Club
Steven “Steve” Simonsen (born April 3, 1979 in South Shields, Tyne and Wear) is an English professional football goalkeeper currently playing for Stoke City.
Personal information
Full name : Steven Simonsen
Date of birth : April 3, 1979 (1979-04-03) (age 29)
Place of birth : South Shields, England
Height : 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Playing position : Goalkeeper
Current club : Stoke City
League : English Barclays Premier League Football Club
Stoke City F. C.
He signed for Stoke City in July 2004 on a free transfer and has been the club’s ever present first choice goalkeeper since, having made over 150 league appearances for the Potters. He was named as Stoke City player’s player of the season in 2004-2005 and was rewarded with a new three-year contract until July 2008.
In the 2006-2007 season, Steve Simonsen became the record holder for most consecutive clean sheets at Stoke City (seven); these clean sheets consisted of four home matches and three away matches. The home matches were against: Coventry City, West Bromwich Albion, Cardiff City and Queens Park Rangers. The three away matches were against: Crystal Palace, Hull City and Coventry City again. Simonsen also achieved the same feat during his time at Tranmere Rovers.
Simonsen signed a new contract with Stoke on 31 July 2007, which will keep him at the club until June 2010.[2] On the opening day of the 2007-08 season, Simonsen helped Stoke to a 1–0 win over Cardiff City F.C. with a string of saves, including a penalty save from Steven MacLean
Source: Steve Simonsen, Stoke City Goalkeeper, English Barclays Premier League Football Club information at wikipedia.org