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Ten goalkeeping greats have kept more Premier League clean sheets than anyone else
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List reads like a who’s who of shot-stopping legends
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Chelsea and Arsenal number one Petr Cech is the all-time shut-out master
11 - Peter Schmeichel (128)
Signed from Brondby in 1991 for the meagre sum of half a million pounds, the Great Dane swiftly set about reinventing modern goalkeeping, distributing from the back and enacting his trademark ‘star jumps’.
His innovative methods are widely used today by just about everyone.
Arriving at Old Trafford a year before the Premier League was formed, Schmeichel established himself as one of the first true legends of it, becoming a pivotal figure in Sir Alex Ferguson’s all-conquering Manchester United sides.
Incredibly, his son Kasper could one day usurp his old man from this list. The Leicester stopper is on 75 clean sheets going into the 2021/22 season
=8 - Brad Friedel (132)
Like Schmeichel, the imposing American began his shot-stopping at Brondby though he never played a professional game in Denmark.
From there, a highly unusual career path took him to Galatasaray before heading home for a short spell with Columbus Crew.
In 1997, Liverpool came calling and after a lengthy fight to secure a work permit the keeper dubbed ‘The Human Wall’ after his World Cup heroics in 2002 went on to make a staggering 450 appearances in the English top-flight, making a grand total of 771 saves for the Reds, Blackburn, Aston Villa and Tottenham.
=8 - Tim Howard (132)
Though it was Manchester United who lured Howard across the Atlantic, it is Everton who he will forever be synonymous with, providing assurance between the sticks on 329 occasions.
Naturally, one game in particular stands out from that multitude when in 2012 against Bolton at Goodison Park, a wind-assisted 101-yard clearance confounded his opposite number and flew into the goal.
The Premier League odds on that happening in the next Everton game are, to put it mildly, generous.
=8 - Edwin van der Sar (132)
The third and final Manchester United keeper on this list, the 6 ft 6 Dutchman would undoubtedly find himself much higher had he not spent half his career hoovering up silverware in the Eredivisie with Ajax.
Composure personified; Van der Sar brought some much-needed surety to the Red Devils after several seasons of settling for stop-gaps post-Schmeichel.
Masterful with his feet and blessed with a perfectly tuned positional sense, it’s no coincidence that United won five league titles and a Champions League during his tenure.
7 - Pepe Reina (136)
The Spaniard won three Golden Glove Awards at Liverpool between 2005 and 2008 as Rafa Benitez’s side repeatedly threatened to win the title and it is worth noting that Reina boasts the best ratio of clean sheets to games played in this whole list.
A stunning 45.79% of his 297 Premier League matches ended in shut-outs and were he still playing today the live betting market would surely be awash with wagers that his team wouldn’t concede. Quite simply he was Senor Reliable.
6 - Nigel Martyn (137)
Unquestionably one of the best shot-stoppers around, Martyn would have easily gained a hundred England caps had his career not run parallel with David Seaman’s.
Strangely, the first keeper to command a £1m fee remains somewhat under-rated to this day but ask any supporter of Crystal Palace, Leeds, or Everton on his attributes and they will rave about his consistency and match-turning displays. Not for nothing did David Moyes peg Martyn as his greatest ever signing.
The Cornishman was a superb practitioner of his craft and Palace could sorely do with his talents at present. The football betting market has the Eagles as fourth favourites for the drop.
5 - David Seaman (141)
‘Safe Hands’ is a bona fide Arsenal legend having spent 13 largely successful years in North London, winning three league titles, four FA Cups and a European Cup Winners Cup for good measure.
Only Peter Shilton won more England caps in nets and a series of excellent performances at major tournaments resulted in the Yorkshireman becoming a recognisable figure that transcended the sport.
A housewives’ favourite and not just because of the ponytail and ‘tache.
4 - David de Gea (147)
Followers of football betting know that David de Gea had a tumultuous Manchester United career. You don’t need to be an online betting expert to be aware that de Gea was one of the best goalkeepers in the world throughout his Old Trafford tenure, however.
The Spaniard had his fair share of high-profile blunders, but he also won two Golden Gloves, and was named to the PFA Team of the Year on five occasions. Often behind shaky Manchester United defences, de Gea’s heroics frequently kept the Red Devils in games.
After so nearly moving to Real Madrid, de Gea extended his stay in the Premier League until 2023.
Rumours of a return to English football have appeared on occasion – he could climb this list further if he signs with another Premier League club or even returns to Manchester United to address their latest goalkeeping crisis.
3 - Mark Schwarzer (151)
On the one hand it could be reasoned that the towering Aussie is third due to his impressive longevity.
Only seven other stars have made more top-flight appearances than Schwarzer and in 2016 he became one of the oldest Premier League players by joining Leicester as back-up to Schmeichel Jr.
Yet if 514 games will inevitably result in lots of clean sheets consider who they were for. The vast majority of Schwarzer’s long career was spent playing for mid-table clubs or relegation fare, with defences typically vulnerable.
2 - David James (169)
Burdened with a reputation for making gaffes at Anfield, James shook off his ‘Calamity’ tag to script a respectable second chapter to his career that included stints at Aston Villa, West Ham and Portsmouth.
Memorably, at Manchester City he made a cameo up front but it was between the posts where James’ expertise lay; a keeper much better – and considerably more reliable – than he was ever given credit for.
An MBE was awarded to him in 2012 for his services to football and charity and no, he didn’t drop it.
1 - Petr Cech (202)
As part of Chelsea’s miserly back-line in 2005, Cech the Czech kept an astounding 24 clean sheets, still a Premier League record. That season too, he went 1,025 minutes without conceding.
Eleven years later, he topped his peers for the fourth time, keeping 16 shut-outs for an Arsenal side that was hardly known for their solidity.
Across a sizable chunk of the modern era, ‘Big Pete’ was the most well-rounded goalkeeper plying his trade in England. Recently, Gianluigi Buffon insisted he was the ‘best overall’ in their position. Buffon knows.
Our Premier League predictions for 2021/22 tips Chelsea as possible title challengers. They will have to be nothing less than brilliant to match their earlier incarnation in 2005 with Cech unbeatable at the back.
Most Premier League Golden Glove Awards:
Two keepers share the distinction of having won the Golden Glove Award on four separate occasions. Cech is one and perhaps that doesn’t surprise.
The other multiple winner is Joe Hart and given the way his career trajectory has taken a downward curve in recent years perhaps that does raise an eyebrow or two.
It shouldn’t. For several seasons, Hart played a key role in Manchester City’s rise to the summit of English football. Agile and commanding, his place in the pantheon of Premier League greats is secure.
Previous Golden Glove Winners
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2004-05 – Petr Cech
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2005-06 – Pepe Reina
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2006-07 – Pepe Reina
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2007-08 – Pepe Reina
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2008-09 – Edwin van der Sar
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2009-10 – Petr Cech
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2010-11 – Joe Hart
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2011-12 – Joe Hart
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2012-13 – Joe Hart
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2013-14 – Petr Cech/Wojciech Sczcesny
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2014-15 – Joe Hart
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2015-16 – Petr Cech
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2016-17 – Thibaut Courtois
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2017-18 – David de Gea
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2018-19 – Alisson
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2019-20 – Ederson
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2020-21 – Ederson
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2021-22 – Alisson/Ederson
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2022-23 – David de Gea
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2023-24 – David Raya
*Credit for the photos in this article belongs to Alamy*
