There is a long history of goalkeepers from the United States performing well in Europe over the last 20 years. Kasey Keller, Tim Howard, Brad Friedel and Brad Guzan are just some examples of American goalkeepers who successfully made a name for themselves in the Premier League. Their modern-day counterparts, like Manchester City’s Zack Steffen and Matt Turner (who will become an Arsenal player in July) will hope to follow suit. There have been many theories over the years as to why the USA produces better players in this position than any other, and while none have been proven definitively right there are certainly some that provide food for thought. One of the most interesting theories states that the reason the United States develops so many top goalkeepers is due to the similarities there are between playing that position, and playing American Football. This certainly makes sense as there are several transferable skills that can be used in both sports. Also, most goalkeepers from the US will probably have been introduced to American Football before soccer, which means their parents would have probably imagined they’d be more likely to be featured as MVP favorites in Super Bowl betting from sites like OddsChecker, rather than World Cup finalists with the USMNT.
There are several goalkeepers in soccer today that one could easily imagine playing in the NFL thanks to their handling, agility, leadership and kicking ability. So, here are some of the goalkeepers we can imagine playing American Football, as well as the players they’d likely resemble.
Ederson
Since moving to five-time Premier League winners Manchester City in 2017, Ederson has impressed fans all over Europe with his performances. One of the most impressive aspects of his game is his kicking as he is especially adept with his left foot, managing to find teammates wherever they are on the pitch. Both the power and accuracy of his kicking would make him a great NFL kicker, especially considering the fact that most kickers in the league now use a technique heavily influenced by soccer. He’d be able to kick many field goals and 2-point conversions for his team thanks to this skill-set.
If Ederson played football in the NFL he would probably be one of the league’s top placekickers. His technique is not too dissimilar from Morten Anderson, the Danish Hall of Famer who enjoyed a 25-year career in the league. He spent 12 years at the New Orleans Saints before moving to Atlanta Falcons, where he played from 1995-2000, before spells in New York, Kansas and Minnesota. Like Ederson, Anderson was left-footed, which gave his kicks the same aesthetically pleasing quality as the Brazilian goalkeeper.
Manuel Neuer
As well as being one of the best in the world in his position, Bayern Munich goalkeeper Manuel Neuer revolutionized the position from the moment he burst onto the scene with Schalke. While he wasn’t the first to use the now popular “sweeper-keeper” style, which involves the goalkeeper sprinting out of his area to stop opposition attacks, he has taken the role to new heights with his timing and bravery. However, while most sweeper-keepers simply hoof the ball out of play once they get to it, Neuer has the composure to find a teammate with an accurate pass or even dribble past the onrushing attacker.
This ability to turn defense into attack would make him an ideal NFL tight end, as this position requires players to be adept at blocking, receiving and rushing. If he was in the NFL, Neuer would probably resemble Rob Gronkowski, the four-time Super Bowl champion who has formed a strong duo with Tom Brady. Neuer is only two inches shorter than “Gronk”, and they are both known for their eccentric characters.
Gianluigi Buffon
Despite turning 44 this year, legendary Italian goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon is showing no signs of slowing down. He burst onto the scene at Parma as a 17-year-old and quickly established himself as one of the world’s outstanding young goalkeepers. He moved to Juventus for a then-record fee in 2001 and gained a reputation as a player who has performed consistently at the highest level, almost never letting his team down. In the most difficult of moments for club and country, Buffon has stood tall and led his teammates in an admirable fashion.
The leadership qualities and consistency Buffon has shown throughout his career make it easy to compare him to Tom Brady, the greatest quarterback of all time. The two are the same age, and with Brady recently coming out of retirement it seems like both of their careers will go on forever.
Marc-André ter Stegen
Barcelona’s German goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen is another sweeper-keeper known as much for his reflexes and handling as for his ability to rush from his goal to stop attacks. He is the understudy to Manuel Neuer in the national team and seems to have picked up a lot of his winning habits, which has helped him become a world-class goalkeeper in his own right. This also means Ter Stegen will be ready to take the reigns for the national team once Neuer decides to retire from international duty. Ter Stegen is also one of the best passers in world football, able to relieve pressure on his team by finding one of the forward players with one of his pinpoint passes.
This passing ability and the fact he is now competing with one of the greatest players to play in his position makes Ter Stegen similar to Patrick Mahomes. Both have learned their craft by closely watching a legend in their position and adding their own virtues to become one of the best players in their respective sports. They are great passers with excellent vision that allows them to see the whole field and assess all of their options, and they both have the technique to execute the right pass at the right time.
Kepa Arrizabalaga
Chelsea’s Kepa Arrizabalaga was once seen as one of the world’s most promising young goalkeepers. However, since his record-breaking move to Chelsea he has struggled for form and is now the club’s second-choice goalkeeper. While Kepa doesn’t have a broad spectrum of qualities you’d associate with an American football player, he does stand out for his kicking, which anyone who saw his penalty miss in the Carabao Cup would agree would be perfect for the NFL.