The Premier League is the most attractive national championship in the world. It is the playground of top football stars, including strikers, midfielders, and goalkeepers. They all have their own strengths and are recruited at considerable prices. If you were a goalkeeper, what would be your main concern? Height - Weight or something else? We always think that being a goalkeeper requires superior height, which is true but not entirely. The evidence is that the Top 10 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.
Shortest goalkeeper in Premier League today - Who are they?
1/ Cameron Plain (1m82 - AFC Bournemouth)
Cameron Plain has shown significant progress at AFC Bournemouth since joining the club in 2018. He graduated to the development squad after impressively completing his two-year scholarship with the under-18 team. Plain regularly trains with the first team and is named in the matchday squad as a backup goalkeeper. He has been rewarded for his achievements with 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 FA Youth Cup 2018/19 and featured as the U21 team lifted 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 the England U18 and U19 goalkeepers at St George's Park. In the 2022/23 season, Plain was not utilized as a substitute in several Premier League matches, serving as a backup for Mark Travers when Neto was sidelined due to injury.
2/ Dermot Mee (1m83 - Man Utd)
The goalkeeper from Northern Ireland, born in Birmingham, has been training regularly with the first team. Mee spent the 2021/22 season competing for playing time with the U21 and U23 teams while also participating in training sessions with the first team.
On August 16, 2022, he joined the National League team Altrincham on loan until January 2023, following short-term loan spells at the 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 youth level.
3/ David Raya (1m83 - Arsenal)
While David Raya may not boast incredibly high save statistics, his ability to command the penalty area and distribute the ball quickly has significantly improved Arsenal's overall gameplay compared to Aaron Ramsdale. According to Sky Sports, Raya continues to play a pivotal role in Arsenal's positive results, 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 really need a goalkeeper with excellent save abilities." Arsenal requires Raya's assurance, especially in big matches as the season enters its crucial stages. However, Arsenal goalkeepers often don't rely heavily on their hands to make numerous saves in each game.
4/ Jordan Pickford (1m85 - Everton)
Jordan Lee Pickford (born Logan; born March 7, 1994) is a professional English footballer currently playing as a goalkeeper for the Premier League club Everton and the England national team. Pickford previously played for the academy, reserve, and senior teams of Sunderland, as well as having loan spells at Darlington, Alfreton Town, Burton Albion, Carlisle United, Bradford City, and Preston North End.
Pickford has represented England at the under-16, under-17, under-18, under-19, under-20, and under-21 levels. He made his debut for the England national team in November 2017 in a friendly match against Germany. He was the starting goalkeeper in England's fourth-place finish at the FIFA World Cup 2018, 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 professional German footballer currently playing as a goalkeeper for the Premier League club Manchester City. Ortega began his career at the northern Hessian club TSV Jahn Calden before moving to KSV Baunatal, and then to KSV Hessen Kassel. In 2007, he joined Arminia Bielefeld and became part of their youth team.
During the 2010/11 season, he made six appearances for the B team competing in the Regionalliga West. In July 2022, Ortega signed a contract with the Premier League champions Manchester City on a free transfer. He started 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 professional debut for the club in a UEFA Champions League group stage match against Borussia Dortmund.
6/ Thomas McGill (1m85 - Brighton)
Tom McGill joined Albion at the age of 14 and represented England at the Under-17 level before being called up to the Canada senior squad in March 2023. He progressed through the club's youth ranks and joined the under-23 squad for the 2018/19 campaign. The goalkeeper amassed over 30 appearances for Albion's under-18s in the Premier League South and went on loan to Greenwich Borough during his first season with the under-23 squad.
McGill made his debut in the 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, the latter of which saw him make 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 a professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for the Premier League club Brentford. Born in Greece, he represents the Albania national team. Born in Athens, Strakosha played youth football at Panionios before joining the Italian club Lazio in 2012. He made his professional debut in August 2015, while on loan at Salernitana.
Strakosha has made a total of 208 appearances for Lazio, winning the Coppa Italia and Supercoppa Italiana twice each. After representing Albania at the U19 and U21 levels, Strakosha made his senior international debut in March 2017 against Italy. On July 14, 2022, Strakosha signed a three-year contract with the Premier League club Brentford.
8/ James Shea (1m86 - Luton Town)
James William Shea (born June 16, 1991) is an English footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for the Premier League club Luton Town. Shea joined the League One club Southampton on a one-month loan in February 2011 to provide cover for the injured Bartosz Białkowski. However, he was recalled by Arsenal after 8 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 loan signing when he was injured and unable to regain his place. He was on the bench for all of Wimbledon's League Two playoff matches in 2016, where Wimbledon reached the final and ultimately won 2–0 against Plymouth Argyle at Wembley Stadium. On July 3, 2017, Shea joined Luton Town on a one-year contract.
9/ Dean Henderson (1m88 - Crystal Palace)
Dean Bradley Henderson, born on March 12, 1997, is an English footballer currently playing for Manchester United Football Club and the England national team as a goalkeeper. Henderson signed his first professional contract with Manchester United in 2015. On August 14, 2020, Henderson was named in the matchday squad for Manchester United's first team for the first time.
He made his first start for the first team in a match against Luton Town in the third round of the League Cup. Dean Henderson, who is now 27 years old, has spent the majority of his career at Manchester United. However, he has now ended his 12-year association with Old Trafford to join 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 the southern part of the Republic of Ireland, into a family with a sporting tradition. Interestingly, during his apprenticeship at Ringmahon, Kelleher played as a forward before switching to goalkeeper at the age of 14. During his time as a forward, Kelleher showcased impressive goal-scoring talent, averaging between 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.
Conclude
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
