The Premier League is the most exciting domestic football league in the world. It is home to the world's top football stars, including strikers, midfielders, and goalkeepers. Each player has unique strengths and is signed for significant transfer fees. If you were a goalkeeper, what would be your main concern? Height, weight, or something else? Many believe that goalkeepers must be exceptionally tall, which is true to some extent but not always the case. The evidence is that the shortest goalkeeper in Premier League 2023/24 season that Wintips is about to list below all do not have impressive height but still play very well in the EPL. Let's guess who they are.
The shortest goalkeepers in the Premier League today – Who are they?
1. Cameron Plain (1m82 - AFC Bournemouth)
Cameron Plain has made remarkable progress at AFC Bournemouth since joining the club in 2018. After completing his two-year scholarship with the under-18 team, he was promoted to the development squad. Plain regularly trains with the first team and is frequently included in the matchday squad as a backup goalkeeper. His achievements earned him a contract extension, which he signed in the summer of 2022.
He was part of the Cherries squad that reached the quarter-finals of the 2018/19 FA Youth Cup and played a role in the U21 team's triumph in the Central League Cup in April 2019. During the 2019/20 season, Plain joined Wimborne Town on loan to gain valuable experience and trained alongside England's U18 and U19 goalkeepers at St. George's Park.
During the 2022/23 season, Plain was listed as a substitute in several Premier League matches but was not utilized, serving as a backup for Mark Travers while Neto was sidelined due to injury.
2. Dermot Mee (1m83 - Man Utd)
The Northern Irish goalkeeper, born in Birmingham, has been training regularly with the first team. During the 2021/22 season, Mee competed for playing time with the U21 and U23 teams while also taking part in first-team training sessions.
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On August 16, 2022, he joined National League side Altrincham on loan until January 2023, following short-term loan spells with Fulham Academy, Trafford FC, Runcorn Linnets, and Witton Albion. He also gained valuable experience on loan at AFC Wimbledon and has represented Northern Ireland at the youth level.
3. David Raya (1m83 - Arsenal)
While David Raya may not boast incredibly impressive save statistics, his ability to command the penalty area and distribute the ball quickly has significantly improved Arsenal's overall performance compared to that of Aaron Ramsdale. According to Sky Sports, Raya continues to play a pivotal role in Arsenal's success, helping the team compete fiercely at the top of the table this season.
The English outlet analyzes, "Context is key when assessing such statistics. The question is whether Arsenal needs a goalkeeper with excellent shot-stopping abilities." Arsenal requires Raya’s composure, especially in big matches as the season reaches its crucial stages. However, Arsenal goalkeepers often do not rely heavily on their hands to make multiple saves per game.
4. Jordan Pickford (1m85 - Everton)
Jordan Lee Pickford (born March 7, 1994, in Washington, England) is a professional English footballer who currently plays as a goalkeeper for Premier League club Everton and the England national team. Pickford previously played for Sunderland’s academy, reserve, and senior teams and had loan spells at Darlington, Alfreton Town, Burton Albion, Carlisle United, Bradford City, and Preston North End.
Pickford has represented England from the under-16 to the under-21 levels. He made his debut for England's national team in November 2017 during a friendly match against Germany. He was the starting goalkeeper during England's fourth-place finish at the 2018 FIFA World Cup, where the team reached the semi-finals for the first time since 1990.
5. Stefan Ortega (1m85 - Man City)
Stefan Ortega Moreno (born November 6, 1992) is a German professional footballer who currently plays as a goalkeeper for the Premier League club Manchester City. Ortega began his career at a club in northern Hesse, TSV Jahn Calden, before moving to KSV Baunatal and then KSV Hessen Kassel. In 2007, he joined Arminia Bielefeld and became part of their youth setup.
During the 2010/11 season, he made six appearances for the B team that competed in the Regionalliga West. In July 2022, Ortega joined Premier League champions Manchester City on a free transfer. He began the season on the bench in Manchester City's 1-3 loss to Liverpool in the FA Community Shield on July 30. Ortega made his competitive debut for the club in a UEFA Champions League group-stage match against Borussia Dortmund.
6. Thomas McGill (1m85 - Brighton)
Tom McGill joined Brighton at the age of 14 and represented England at the Under-17 level before earning a call-up to the Canada senior squad in March 2023. He progressed through the club's youth system and joined the under-23 squad for the 2018/19 season. The goalkeeper made over 30 appearances for Brighton's under-18s in the Premier League South and had a loan spell at Greenwich Borough during his first season with the under-23 squad.
McGill made his debut in Premier League 2, Division 1, against Manchester City at the Academy Stadium, where he made several crucial saves and kept a clean sheet in a 1-0 victory. Subsequently, he had loan spells with Basingstoke Town and Crawley Town, where he made his professional debut as a substitute in a League Two match against Walsall.
7. Thomas Strakosha (1m86 - Brentford FC)
Thomas Strakosha (born March 19, 1995) is an Albanian professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for the Premier League club Brentford. Born in Greece, he represents the Albanian national team. A native of Athens, Strakosha played youth football at Panionios before joining the Italian club Lazio in 2012. He made his professional debut in August 2015 during a loan spell at Salernitana.
Strakosha has made a total of 208 appearances for Lazio, winning both the Coppa Italia and the Supercoppa Italiana twice. After representing Albania at the U19 and U21 levels, Strakosha earned his senior international debut in March 2017 against Italy. On July 14, 2022, Strakosha signed a three-year contract with Premier League side Brentford.
8. James Shea (1m86 - Luton Town)
James William Shea (born June 16, 1991) is an English footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Premier League club Luton Town. Shea joined League One side Southampton on a one-month loan in February 2011 to provide cover for the injured Bartosz Białkowski. However, he was recalled by Arsenal after eight days without making an appearance.
Shea was a regular goalkeeper for Wimbledon during the 2014–15 season and the start of the 2015–16 season but was replaced by a goalkeeper signed on loan after suffering an injury, which prevented him from reclaiming his spot. He was on the bench for all of Wimbledon's League Two playoff matches in 2016, as Wimbledon reached the final and secured a 2–0 victory against Plymouth Argyle at Wembley Stadium. Shea signed a one-year contract with Luton Town on July 3, 2017.
9. Dean Henderson (1m88 - Crystal Palace)
Dean Bradley Henderson, born on March 12, 1997, is an English footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Crystal Palace and the England national team. Henderson signed his first professional contract with Manchester United in 2015. On August 14, 2020, Henderson was included in Manchester United's matchday squad for the first team.
He made his first start for the senior team in a match against Luton Town in the third round of the League Cup. Dean Henderson, now 27 years old, has spent the majority of his career at Manchester United. However, he has now ended his 12-year tenure at Old Trafford, joining Crystal Palace for a transfer fee of £15 million plus £5 million in add-ons.
10. Caoimhín Kelleher (1m88 - Liverpool)
Kelleher was born on November 22, 1998, in Cork, a city in southern Ireland, into a family with a strong sporting tradition. Interestingly, during his time at Ringmahon, Kelleher initially played as a forward before switching to goalkeeper at the age of 14. As a forward, Kelleher demonstrated impressive goal-scoring ability, averaging 20 to 30 goals per season.
This explains why Kelleher possesses better shooting technique and finishing ability than Kepa. Before joining Liverpool, Caoimhin Kelleher was trained at Ringmahon Rangers (in the Republic of Ireland). According to Eddie Harrington, former youth coach of Ringmahon, Kelleher's initial position was as a forward before transitioning to goalkeeper.
Conclusion
So in today's sports article, the website admin of the online bookmaker offers has compiled and sent you the top 10 "shortest goalkeepers in the Premier League" for the 2023/24 season. In football, height indeed plays an important role but it's not everything. As a goalkeeper, you need to have sharpness, judgment, and reflexes. Moreover, modern football requires goalkeepers to be excellent with their feet. If you're not tall, you must know how to make others look up to you.
See also: Ranking of the top 10 tallest goalkeeper in the world of football
