Goalkeepers' Union

We're often asked how much longer we can continue to interview goalkeepers for. How can you think up new topics? How can you keep it fresh? Doesn't every interview become the same after a while? Is the aim to have every goalkeeper to have ever played on the Goalkeepers' Union Podcast? Granted, that last question might be a bit of a stretch. The others, however, are all part and parcel of what makes each chat with each goalkeeper that little bit unique. Finding that one aspect of the story that somehow hasn't yet been told on previous episodes. For Jayson Leutwiler, it was reflecting on his career just weeks after announcing his retirement from professional football - a first for the podcast. Here, from his home in the North West of England, we discuss the Canadian's processes leading up to the decision, how he felt afterwards and what life has in store post-goalkeeping. One of the most pleasant guys to have appeared on the pod.

FA Cup Semi-Final weekend sees the focus on Dean Henderson and Matz Sels in this episode of Between the Sticks. The former making a bog stop in Crystal Palace's win over Aston Villa. The latter called out for not coming for a corner which all but ended Nottingham Forest's hope of a dream day out as Man City booked their place in a third successive final. In the EFL, three goalkeepers bagged their first clean sheet of the season on the penultimate day. For George Evans and Toby Steward it was a full opening of a professional account at Millwall and Crawley respectively, while Michael Kelly helped Accrington survive another season in League Two. Congrats to James Trafford, Sam Tickle and Owen Goodman who all made Teams of the Season. And a nod to Chris Maxwell, who following doctor's advice has decided to call time on his goalkeeping career.

Not often do you hear of a goalkeeper going from the Premier League to Tier 9 in the space of a few short years - only to gradually make his way back into the throes of a League One promotion race at the age of 37. Ben Hinchliffe (that's Hinch-liffe, not Hinch-cliffe) is a straight-talking stopper with a whopper of a story to tell - from driving trucks part-time to dislodging every aspiring goalkeeper brought in by Stockport to replace him. Now, as he currently sits on the sidelines with the first lengthy injury of his career, the Prestonian is eyeing a 400th appearances for his beloved County - plus a heck of a lot more if he has his way. Proper goalkeeper.

Very rarely does a goalkeeper make four assists across an entire career. Ederson has achieved it this season alone. The Brazilian racked up his goal-providing quad in Man City's 5-2 win over Crystal Palace, marking this as the most successful-ever season for assists from goalkeepers in a single Premier League campaign. Fellow Brazilian Alisson returned for Liverpool to remind everyone why he's the best in the world in a 2-1 triumph of West Ham, while all manner of questions continue to be raised over the goalkeeping dilemma facing Manchester United. In the EFL, pro debuts were made by Luke Hutchinson (Crawley, on loan from Bolton) and Taite Holtam (Gillingham), Sam Tickle reached 100 career appearances at Wigan and Luke McGee played a huge role in Tranmere's remarkable comeback in a League Two basement battle at Accrington.

Richard Lee returns to the fold to talk about the steadiness of Bernd Leno as a Premier League goalkeeper, the bit-between-his-teethness of Dean Henderson and 100 in succession for Jordan Pickford. In the Championship, Karl Darlow was finally given the nod ahead of Illan Meslier as Leeds were held at Luton, while Max Crocombe was the subject of a dubious penalty awarded to Wrexham and Wyll Stanway bagged an MOM in a rare start for Barrow. A nod to Andy Fisher and Rohan Luthra, too, as both excelled on loans at St Johnstone and Spennymoor respectively.

Everton goalkeeper Asmir Begovic makes his return to the GKU starting lineup to talk all things The Toffees, FA Cup Quarter Finals and goalkeeping goodness from the EFL. We touch on his close relationship with Jordan Pickford, what the immediate future holds for Illan Meslier at Leeds and teammate Harry Tyrer's loan spell with Blackpool.

Father and son goalkeepers. How many can you name? Let us know any who pop out via all the usual channels. In addition to that, plenty of goalkeeping analysis to dive into this week. Joe Hart and Shay Given both stood up for stoppers as they ran the rule over performances from Dean Henderson, Ederson and David Raya against Ipswich, Nottingham Forest and Manchester United respectively. Meanwhile, Robert Sanchez returned for Chelsea, Robin Olsen kept his first Premier League clean sheet since New Year's Day of 2023 and Kepa committed the cardinal sin of conceding one of "those" penalties. In the EFL, Save of the Weekend contenders go to George Wickens, Jay Lynch and Paul Farman.

So, the eight-second ruling as imposed on goalkeepers by IFAB is due to finally come into effect as of next season. Following yet another trial during the Club World Cup over the summer, it's possible referees will award corners to opposing teams should goalkeepers fail to release the ball after eight seconds. Let's see how it plays out. Meanwhile, penalty shootouts took centre stage in the FA Cup and FA Trophy at the weekend. Bernd Leno the hero for Fulham at Manchester United. Will Jaaskelainen saved three and scored the decisive spot-kick for Woking in their quarter-final tie at Oxford City. On the flip side of heroism, Liam Roberts was very much seen as the villain after seeing red for his challenge on Jean-Phillipe Mateta in Millwall's defeat to Crystal Palace. We discuss the incident and comments made by Palace Chairman, Steve Parish, after the game.

It's fair to say the narrative surrounding Chelsea goalkeepers has not been particularly positive in recent seasons. Aston Villa's winner in their defeat of The Blues won't have helped that cause as Filip Jorgensen allowed Marco Asensio's effort to squirm under his body at the weekend. We discuss that moment, in addition to the art of combating the "dinker". Aaron Ramsdale was twice beaten by deft finishes in Southampton's 4-0 loss to Brighton, so is it purely down to unbeatable striking excellence - or is there a way to thwart those pesky frontmen in such a scenario? In the EFL, Illan Meslier made headlines yet again for his part in a monumental Leeds triumph over Sheffield United, Jamie Jones and Filip Marschall share the Save of the Weekend contender spoils, and 'Keeper Capers stars Nick Townsend and Ryan Boot of Newport and Chesterfield respectively.

It may not have been a particularly busy transfer window for goalkeepers in the Premier League, but there was still one big move for one English stopper. Alex Palmer earned a shot at the top flight following his move from West Brom to Ipswich. He started Tier 1 life in fine fashion with a Man of the Match performance on his debut at Aston Villa. An incredible four klaxons were sounded overall at the weekend. Ederson (a record-breaking sixth in total) was joined by Bart Verbruggen, Mark Howard and Joe Day, while James Trafford racked up an 11th successive clean sheet in nets for Burnley. An astonishing achievement unlikely to be eclipsed any time soon. Elsewhere in the EFL, Save of the Weekend contenders came from Jamal Blackman, Corey Addai and Gabe Breeze. A truly fine weekend for goalkeeping.

If errors leading to goals are a clear marker of a goalkeeper's game, Robert Sanchez would be in the lower echelons of those performing in this season's Premier League. The much-maligned Chelsea stopper was at fault for Man City's winner on Saturday, so we look at whether the negative hype is fair or perhaps somewhat exaggerated based on his actions aside from goals conceded. Elsewhere, Thomas Kaminski stopped a rot of 13 successive penalties conceded by Luton, Hull bagged a third consecutive clean sheet and victory on the road for the first time since March 2011, and Murphy Cooper produced an audacious piece of skill for Stevenage in League One.

What is a howler? That is the question. 'Twas a word which cropped up a fair few times over the weekend. Andre Onana, Robert Sanchez and James Beadle just three of the suspects suspected to have committed the most catastrophic of calamities if reports were to be believed. In reality, two were errors and one shouldn't have even been discussed as anything other than how it would have and has since been discussed in goalkeeping circles. We delve into all three, in addition to the heroics of James Trafford's two penalty saves in Burnley's goalless draw at home to Sunderland on Friday night.

Everything comes to he who waits... That was the case for Brandon Austin who, after spending the best part of 17 years at Totttenham Hotspur, was finally granted his first team debut at the weekend. The soon-to-be 26-year-old acquitted himself well in the defeat to Newcastle, earning the Man of the Match award on TNT Sports and giving Ange Postecoglou something to think about ahead of Wednesday's Carabao Cup clash with Liverpool. Elsewhere, Matz Sels is perhaps the surprise package of the season in the Premier League. The Belgian leads the way for top-flight clean sheets following his blank in Nottingham Forest's 3-0 win over Wolves. In the EFL, Illan Meslier is feeling the heat at Leeds, Joe Whitworth provided an assist in Exeter's defeat to Bolton and Ben Amos returned to league action for the first time since April 2023.

What a week it's been for Fraser Forster. First there was Manchester United in the Carabao Cup, which Tottenham won. Then there was Liverpool in the Premier League, which Tottenham resoundingly lost. The understudy to Guglielmo Vicario has been called out for his lack of ability when playing out, raising suspicions Spurs might enter the market in January with Vicario not back until mid-February. We run the rule over his two performances, plus that of Danny Ward, Jordan Pickford and Emi Martinez - the latter being crowned the FIFA Best Men's Goalkeeper for the second time in three years. Merry Christmas!

Did we witness the greatest-ever save in footballing history at the weekend? Or was it just the best save ever seen in the Premier League? Or was it neither? We run the rule over that stop from Emi Martinez in Aston Villa's defeat to Nottingham Forest, before touching on respective heroics from England goalkeepers Jordan Pickford and Dean Henderson in a draw with Arsenal and win over Brighton. In the Championship, Sol Brynn regained the No1 jersey at Middlesbrough - a jersey which looks like it's now his to lose - while Aynsley Pears made it five clean sheets in a row for Blackburn. Matty Young and Connor Ripley take the plaudits as top stoppers in League Two. Young is proving his worth on loan form Sunderland at Salford, while Ripley's all-action style earned a point at Bromley to keep Port Vale in second spot.

Andre Onana was back in the error-stricken headlines this week. It's been a while since the Manchester United stopper courted column inches, but that he did after conceding to Morgan Gibbs-White in Nottingham Forest's win at Old Trafford. Elsewhere, two klaxons were sounded - one in the Premier League courtesy of Mark Flekken and one in League Two via Josh Keeley - while weather wreaked havoc yet again with League Two feeling the full force of Storm Darragh.

Two contentious decisions took place in the Premier League at the weekend: 1) Did Adam Armstrong interfere with Bart Verbruggen's ability to prevent a goal scored by Southampton in what ended in a 1-1 draw with Brighton? 2) Was it right to award a penalty for Lukasz Fabianski's challenge on Gabriel in West Ham's 5-2 defeat to Arsenal? We attempt to answer both, albeit with a little fence-sitting in the process. Elsewhere, a Premier League debut was handed to Joe Lumley at the age of 29, while Aro Muric pulled off a Save of the Season contender for Ipswich in their narrow loss at Nottingham Forest. FA Cup Second Round heroes come in the form of Jas Singh, Billy Crellin and Josh Keeley, who sounds a brand new klaxon for the first time.

As conditions wreaked havoc across the country at the weekend, it was in non-league where goalkeepers truly felt the force of Storm Bert's brutal ball bamboozlement. We start with Wroxham and Gloucester City in the Isthmian League North and Southern Prem respectively. The Premier League then takes centre stage with Save of the Weekend contenders from Andre Onana and Guglielmo Vicario, the latter of whom is now set for a period on the sidelines after playing the majority of Tottenham's win over Man City with a broken bone in his foot. Alex McCarthy was under the spotlight in his 150th Premier League appearance for Southampton. In stepping in for Aaron Ramsdale, he conceded three in a defeat to Liverpool, the second of which saw Mo Salah steal in to gift The Reds an equaliser. In the EFL a series of injury time saves proved crucial for points saved and matches won, notably for Luton's Thomas Kaminski and Jacob Chapman of Huddersfield. A nod to Sol Brynn, too. Following a number of loan spells away from Middlesbrough, he finally bagged a first league appearance for the club. It came in a 6-2 away win at Oxford.

Caoimhin Kelleher and Mark Travers have been pretty much close to flawless since stepping in for Alisson and Kepa at Liverpool and Bournemouth respectively. At the weekend, Kepa was back in the Cherries' starting XI, while Kelleher - who pulled off two stunning saves in a home win over Aston Villa - will no doubt be back on the bench once his Brazilian teammate returns to fitness. So, what next for the two No2s who could most likely be No1s at other Premier League clubs? We discuss exactly that, plus another head save from Dean Henderson and a Save of the Weekend contender from Jordan Pickford at West Ham. The Goalkeeper Assist klaxon sounds for Ben Killip of Barnsley in League One, Franco Ravizzoli remains unbeaten in 12 for Wycombe and David Harrington switches allegiance from Ireland to Wales as the Fleetwood stopper is called up to Craig Bellamy's latest squad.

Have we witnessed a turning point for Southampton and Aaron Ramsdale? Two big saves in the victory over Everton gave the Saints and Ramsdale a first win and clean sheet of the campaign at the weekend. With a likely call-up to the England squad beckoning, the tide could just about be turning down on the south coast. Along the way is Mark Travers who, after stepping in for the injured Kepa Arrizabalaga, is very much staking his claim to be Bournemouth's ongoing No1. Defeat of Man City - their first in 32 games - gives Cherries boss Andonia Iraola something to think about once Kepa returns to fitness. Plenty of action to cover in the FA Cup First Round. Onto the next next phase go Jas Singh, Den Jeseph, Mathew Hudson and Laurie Walker of Tamworth, Kettering, Oldham and Solihull respectively, while Harborough's Elliot Taylor and Jonny Maxted of Brackley stepped up to nab a scalp over their more advanced non-league counterparts. Gainsborough Trinity's Dylan Wharton arguably bags Goalkeeper of the Round following his three successive stops in a shootout triumph over Hednesford, and Text Talk returns courtesy of Frankie Leonard. The SCEFL stopper went viral for a quite remarkable stop for Bearstead against Fisher, managing to make a save despite being entangled in the net at the same time.

Premier League appearance number 21 arrived for Bournemouth's Mark Travers at the weekend, stepping in for Kepa Arrizabalaga and yet again proving his worth as one of the most reliable No2 stoppers in the division. So, we ask, what next for the Irishman? Is his level as an elite-level No2, or does he flee the Vitality in order to pursue first-team football elsewhere? That was the key take from a relatively quiet bout of top-flight action, bar the sacking of Erik Ten Hag at Manchester United. What does the future hold for Andre Onana now the man pretty much solely responsible for recruiting him has moved on? In the EFL, Viktor Johansson and Lukas Jensen continue their fine form at Stoke and Millwall respectively, Sunderland's Si Moore bagged his first EFL start in roughly two years and Harry Lewis takes this week's 'Keeper Caper.

Interfering or not interfering? Offside or not offside? And would Jose Sa have saved John Stones' header regardless? These are all questions delivered and deliberated upon in this week's show, as we look into that injury time winner for Man City at Wolves. Elsewhere, Matz Sels is making a name for himself with another match-winning performance for Nottingham Forest in their victory over Crystal Palace, Guglielmo Vicario and Caoimhin Kelleher racked up 50 appearances at Tottenham and Liverpool respectively, and Nick Pope made one of the most remarkable saves (with his head) you're likely to see. Ever. In the EFL, Thomas Kaminski sounded the second klaxon of the weekend, while Franco Ravizzoli and Billy Crellin continue to upturn the form of Wycombe and Accrington since stepping in.

Finally, it's here. Having found a post-window moment to sit back and reflect, we take a look at all the key movers and shakers in this summer's goalkeeping transfer merry-go-round. Starting in the Premier League, the Ramsdale/Raya debate is put to bed (although another is as a result raised via a listener tweet) before a comprehensive list is offered up all the way down to Step 2. Roll on January!

Sometimes you witness a passage of play in goalkeeping that simply makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand to attention. This weekend, Robert Sanchez and Matz Sels contributed to a "save off" that earned a point for their respective sides Chelsea and Nottingham Forest. Incredible goalkeeping in an incredible moment. For Liverpool, Czech 23-year-old Vitezslav Jaros made his Premier League debut when coming on as a second-half replacement for Alisson in the win over Crystal Palace. He did well, reopening the discussion on whether young or old is suited better to that No3 spot. Established Goalkeeper Coach, David Rouse - in for Richard Lee this week - gives his opinion on the above, as well as casting an eye over the best action from the EFL. Paul Nardi continues to enhance his reputation at QPR, Illan Meslier is the subject of 'Keeper Capers for the freak goal which saw Sunderland scrape a draw with Leeds and Connor Ripley stakes his claim for Performance of the Weekend thanks to his starring role in Port Vale's victory at Notts County. Lastly, we touch on the return of David de Gea. The Spaniard saved two penalties in Fiorentina's triumph over AC Milan, although remarkably two less than Paulo Gazzaniga managed in a week thanks to heroics in Girona's games with Feyenoord and Athletic Bilbao.

Just when you thought it was safe to listen to goalkeeping punditry... Up popped Roy Keane with some rather preposterous analysis of Ederson's antics during Man City's draw with Arsenal at the weekend. Along with claiming the Brazilian needed to "come with violence" in a bid to halt his fellow countryman in Gabriel, Keane also suggested Matz Sels should be docked a week's wages for allowing Danny Welbeck's free-kick to beat him in Sunday's other contest between Brighton and Nottingham Forest. It all makes for an action-packed Commentary Corner in this week's episode, followed by takes on the performances of Dean Henderson (MOM), Andre Onana (double save alert) and Guglielmo Vicario (handball or no handball?). In the EFL, Jacob Zetterstrom is rapidly making a name for himself following his summer switch to Derby, Harry Tyrer bagged Celebration of the Weekend right in front of Charlton fans as Blackpool left The Valley with three points and, for the second week in succession, Tommy Simkin pulled off a knee slide after claiming a late cross for Walsall.

On one hand they giveth... Goalkeeping punditry cranked up a notch at the weekend with Danny Murphy taking centre stage on MOTD. In showcasing Ederson's distribution in Man City's win over Brentford, he not only did so with understanding and well-reasoned analysis, but unknowingly carved a hole for the universe to strike a balance elsewhere. For over on Sky Sports, messrs Neville and Carragher continued their goalkeeping guffery with criticism of Guglielmo Vicario, Emi Martinez and Sam Johnstone - Neville at one point bizarrely stating Tottenham's Italian stopper had "frogs in his pants". In the Championship, James Trafford helped Burnley to a big win at Leeds, Jacob Zetterstrom bagged another clean sheet in a strong start to life at Derby and Anthony Patterson very nearly made a Save of the Season in Sunderland's loss at Plymouth. Tommy Simkin of Walsall takes Celebration of the Weekend and a shout out to Kasper Schmeichel for not conceding in his opening five league games for Celtic - the first time since 1906 any goalkeeper in Scotland has achieved such a feat.

Not nineteen forever. That's certainly what you'd imagine if Lukasz Fabianski's career history is anything to go by. In Saturday's defeat to Man City, the West Ham goalkeeper replaced Alphonse Areola at half-time, racking up his 19th direct involvement in a goalkeeping substitution. Three of those have come since January, meaning we're hedging our bets that number 20 could well occur before the season is out. Elsehwere in the Premier League, Aaron Ramsdale, Kepa Arrizabalaga and Sam Johnstone were all thrust into action at their new clubs, while Dean Henderson not only made three vital stops in a draw for Crystal Palace at Chelsea, but in turn bagged Celebration of the Weekend. In the EFL, Bristol City's Max O'Leary and Christy Pym of Mansfield staked their claim for Save of the Weekend, on the international stage a new three-man selection was introduced for the England Men's senior team and the U21s, and over in France a ray of light was handed to much-troubled Bordeaux thanks to a last-gasp goalkeeping equaliser.

Only two games into the Premier League campaign and we already have a Save of the Season contender. David Raya earned three points for Arsenal with his stop from Ollie Watkins at Villa Park. Not only did it banish the demons from the title-denting defeat of last term, but it served as yet another reminder that the Spaniard is at the very top of his game right now. Two contests come in the form of 'Keeper Capers and Top Tips Over throughout all four tiers, both of which we saw on multiple occasions over the weekend. Jordan Pickford and Aro Muric guilty of the former in the top-flight, but Muric also involved in the latter with a marvellous stop from Erling Haaland as Ipswich fell to Man City. Robert Sanchez raised his stock with Chelsea fans thanks to quick thinking and excellent execution in helping to set up Cole Palmer for the Blues' second in the 6-2 romp of Wolves, and Neto seemed to be a counterattack-thwarting target for Newcastle as they held Bournemouth at the Vitality. Penalty stops from Joe Whitworth and Luke McGee should be noted, as should Conor Hazard's MOM performance for Plymouth in their draw at QPR.

A little late this week. That can be blamed on both the transfer window and sleepless flights, which might just give you an insight into what this week's Voice of Goalkeeping will be. Silliness aside, Joe Hart is now a bonafide member of the Match of the Day setup - and if the Premier League's opening weekend show is anything to go by, we could be in for a wealth of high-profile goalkeeping punditry this season. That, alongside Christian Walton's first-ever top-flight start at Ipswich and Robert Sanchez currently being one of six at Chelsea, is covered with all the best bits from the EFL. Special mention to Corey Addai for sounding the first Goalkeeper Assist Klaxon of the campaign.

It hath been a while. Consider this a drop-in. A restart before the proper restart, if you will. With the window still very much in full swing, our standard summer schedule didn't quite go according to plan this time out. However, we do promise to make up for that once September is upon us. That means more interviews and a few specials thrown in for good measure, too. For now, behold the first Between the Sticks of 2024-25.  All the key goalkeeping goodness from the opening day of the EFL campaign is covered, including a whopping 28 debutants among the 72. Quite the window thus far...

As the curtain comes down on the domestic campaign, so too does this season's bout of Between the Sticks shenanigans. Stefan Ortega and Andre Onana both had moments in the FA Cup Final. We touch on each before a look at the Scottish Cup Final and Championship Play-Off Final, won respectively by Celtic and Southampton. Attention is then turned to the season as a whole. Rich rates his Goalkeepers of the Season from the Premier League to League Two with a few stats thrown in for good measure. Thank you for all your support yet again this term. The pod is nothing without loyal listeners and the GKU has stood strong once more.

As the final weekend of the Premier League season cemented Man City's fourth successive title, we ask the question, "Was it all down to Stefan Ortega?" The German pulled off a masterclass in "No2ing" in the midweek victory over Tottenham and capped off another impressive campaign since joining the club as a relative unknown on these shores. Elsewhere, Nick Pope returned to action for Newcastle, James Shea made his Premier League bow for Luton, Dean Henderson finished on a high at Crystal Palace and David Raya showed just how good his hands are in Arsenal's defeat of Everton. A quick nod is given to Corey Addai and Jamie Cumming for their play-off triumphs at Crawley and Oxford respectively, while Joe Hart is now just one game away from goalkeeping retirement.

Following his retirement from professional football in 2018, Adam Bartlett's ascent in the world of goalkeeper coaching has been rather rapid. Since officially taking the reins as Head of Goalkeeping at Newcastle United at the beginning of the 2022-23 season, he's overseen the arrival of Nick Pope, managed an unexpected scenario of having to play No3 Loris Karius - a man who hadn't started a competitive fixture for 20 months - in the EFL Cup Final with Manchester United, and contributed to his hometown club returning to the Champions League. Over a spot of premium grub at Darsley Park, he talks us through how he grasped an opportunity and continued to evolve a department he hopes will soon be close to unrivalled in the Premier League.

Player of the Season is where we begin this week. How many goalkeepers, if any, were handed awards at EFL end-of-campaign shindigs this term? In the Premier League (where awards are yet to be handed out) decisions were made in favour of David Raya and Dean Henderson, but against Mark Travers. We discuss whether or not each one was correct. The Championship's final day saw clean sheets and subsequent survival for Mike Cooper, James Beadle and Aynsley Pears at Plymouth, Sheffield Wednesday and Blackburn respectively, while Grant Smith leaps into League Two with promoted Bromley. A word on Tim Howard, too, who this week gained entry into the US National Soccer Hall of Fame.

This week's pod comes unexpectedly live from the home of Coventry City (it'll all make sense inside the opening five minutes). In the Premier League, much has been discussed about Tottenham's need for a defensive set-piece coach. Richard Lee, however, isn't so sure. Neither was he convinced Cody Gakpo should have been allowed to tap into an empty after confusion reigned between Alphonse Areola and referee Anthony Taylor in West Ham's draw with Liverpool. Elsewhere, Seny Dieng is finishing a disruptive campaign strongly at Middlesbrough, Russell Martin's decision to play Alex McCarthy over Joe Lumley at Southampton is discussed and, as tends to be standard practice on the final day of the league season, a number of understudies were given some much-needed minutes - and thus a mention on this very podcast. More importantly, the Clean Sheet Club King of 2023-24 is revealed.

It is 200 up for GKU and Between the Sticks. A double century. One more game than Richard Lee managed in his career. To celebrate, we've simply produced a standard episode you've grown accustomed to listening to over the past few years. In it, we discuss Aro Muric's performance in Burnley's romp of Sheffield United, while also running the rule over his opposite number in that clash, Ivo Grbic. An analysis of the "Ic's", if you will. Jordan Pickford continues to keep us all entertained with his on-field antics in a huge win for Everton over Nottingham Forest, while Andre Onana and Brad Collins shared saves in a whopper of an FA Cup Semi Final between Manchester United and Coventry. Elsewhere, Keeper Capers goes into overdrive: Dean Henderson, Freddie Woodman, Aynsley Pears and Vicente Reyes all blessed with the jingle this weekend. The Goalkeeper Assist klaxon, meanwhile, is sounded for Jackson Smith of Walsall.

Following a mini-break during the international and Easter interludes, GKU is back as per to cover all the key action as Storm Kathleen wreaked havoc with goalkeeping conditions over the weekend. Jose Sa was caught out direct from a James Ward-Prowse corner, Franco Ravizzoli saw a cross float over his head in the dying embers of the EFL Trophy Final and Thimothee Lo-Tutala launched airmail for Doncaster's opener in a comprehensive win at Morecambe. Elsewhere, we mark Lukasz Fabianski's 18th substitute involvement, Stefan Ortega's silky skills at Selhurst Park and Performance of the Weekend contenders from Max O'Leary, Luca Ashby-Hammond and Jackson Smith of Bristol City, Notts County and Walsall respectively.

Very rarely can a subject of interviews on this podcast boast a career involving anything else other than "goalkeeper" or "goalkeeper coach". For Ian Feuer, however, vocations such as actor, stuntman, DJ and even part-time cook come into the mix. There's also the fact he was introduced to goalkeeping via the nephew of a notorious Vegas mobster, he's son to a musical maestro who worked closely with Elvis Presley and sister to the one-time wife of Hollywood star Mickey Rourke. At 6ft 7in, he's the tallest goalkeeper to have featured in MLS and back in 1994 became the first US stopper to journey into the Premier League. Two years prior to that, he was involved in the first-ever competitive fixture to implement the backpass rule. This is the story of goalkeeping's Forrest Gump.

Across the four FA Quarter Final ties this weekend, five No2 goalkeepers were utilised. Considering the negative narrative surrounding Robert Sanchez on BBC's coverage of the Chelsea v Leicester clash, we look at the implications of such decisions. In the Premier League James Trafford was dropped for the first time this term, making way for Ara Muric to step in and help Burnley to a rare victory over relegation rivals Brentford. It means five ever-present goalkeepers remain in the top-flight for 2023-24 - can you name them quicker than Rich? Joe Wildsmith takes centre stage in the EFL with an incredible Save of the Weekend contender in Derby's huge win at home to Bolton. And as a keen listener of the show, he provides us with a full breakdown of the stop via Text Talk.

It's been a while, but the Ramsdale/Raya debate returns following the former's display in Arsenal's win over Brentford on Saturday evening. Much to be said, and therefore much is discussed. Ederson's season looks to be hanging in the balance with an injury picked up in the draw between Liverpool and Man City. Basic error or poor goalkeeping to give away the penalty for that foul on Darwen Nunez? Commentary Corner is back as Gary Neville tentatively released a call for a regular goalkeeping pundit, Jordan Pickford celebrated his 30th birthday with smiles at Old Trafford and Matz Sels comes under the spotlight for the first time since his January arrival at Nottingham Forest. In the EFL, James Beadle and Dan Grimshaw took plaudits in the Championship and League One respectively, while League Two produced a series of sensational displays in the form of Jack Bycroft, Vicente Reyes and Nick Townsend. Save of the Weekend (and possibly the season) contender comes from Kevin Dabrowski of Raith Rovers.

Save of the Weekend contender kicks off the show this week. And that save was made by Bournemouth's Neto, who flew across his goal to brilliantly fling out a paw and pat away Jacob Bruun Larsson's free-kick in a 2-0 win over Burnley. Alphonse Areola bagged another MOM display as West Ham won at Everton, Emi Martinez put in a superbly solid performance for a triumphant Aston Villa against lowly Luton, and Andre Onana secured a season's first with his eight successful high claims in the defeat to Man City being more than any goalkeeper has managed in a Premier League match this term. In the EFL, Jed Ward continues to receive rave reviews at Bristol Rovers, Steve Arnold has stepped in admirably for a struggling Sutton and in Grimsby's 1-0 win over Forest Green Rovers, the game saw one shot on target and no saves made. Quite the spectacle.

It's all about Caoimhin Kelleher this week. For the second Carabao Cup Final in three years, he pretty much single-handedly dragged Liverpool to the trophy at the expense of Chelsea. Huge saves from Cole Palmer and Conor Gallagher had Jurgen Klopp and Virgil Van Dijk singing his praises and forming a narrative which could prompt The Reds into a big decision this summer. Does the Irishman stay or go? Elsewhere, Loris Karius made his first Premier League start since May 2018, Viktor Johansson continued to rack up his save count in yet another defeat for Rotherham and debut podcast mentions were awarded to Jack Bycroft and Steve Arnold of Swindon and Sutton respectively. Lastly, a quick word is offered on Joe Hart following the 36-year-old's announcement that he'll be hanging up his gloves at the end of this season.

A select band of names seem to be synonymous with goalkeeper coaching. Andy Quy is one of them. Following more than a decade at Stoke City - a period which saw them climb into, consolidate  their status and then drop back out of the Premier League - he enjoyed short stints with Brentford and Burton before being tasked with assisting the creation of an entirely new MLS franchise in Charlotte FC. Now back in England and reflecting on next steps, he talks to GKU about his ultimate goalkeeping department, how taking time out can aid progression and facing countless free-kicks from Gazza at Wembley. NB: This podcast was recorded two weeks prior to Andy taking on his current role at Huddersfield Town.

Just like Richard Lee the goalkeeper, we are short and sharp this week. Packed inside half-an-hour of goalkeeping goodness comes multiple Save of the Weekend contenders. Guglielmo Vicario and Jose Sa staked their claims in Wolves' win at Tottenham, while Gavin Bazunu, Viljami Sinisalo, Liam Roberts and James Belshaw fly the EFL flag for Southampton, Exeter, Barnsley and Harrogate respectively. Stat of the Week arrives courtesy of Brighton, who broke a Premier League record by making a 15th starting goalkeeper change in the victory at Sheffield United. Bart Verbruggen's inclusion eclipsed the 14 racked up by Manchester United in 2000-01 - and we still have more than ten games to play.

He may have been on the losing side, but Mark Flekken broke Premier League records for Brentford in their clash with Man City on Monday night. We briefly discuss his start to life in England, in addition to some familiarly rough treatment dished out to Guglielmo Vicario in Tottenham's draw at Everton. A day of deflections, own goals and rebounds occurred in the EFL, where Bristol Rovers youngster Jed Ward excelled in claiming his first clean sheet in professional football. Welcome to the Club, Jed. Lastly, GKs On Their Way has its final hurrah before the summer.

Lucas Covolan, take a bow. A man-of-the-match performance from Maidstone's No1 helped The Stones defeat Ipswich and in turn become the first club from outside the top five tiers of the English football pyramid to make the FA Cup fifth round since Blythe Spartans in 1978. The Brazilian takes centre stage this week, along with the rest of the fourth round action where, yet again, "Foul or No Foul?" rears its head following Man City's winner at Tottenham. Altay's possibly one and only appearance for Manchester United this season is touched upon, as is Martin Dubravka's likely challenge as Newcastle's main man for the remainder of the campaign, plus a spot of GKs On Their Way with the January window reaching its conclusion.

Is it feasible for a professional goalkeeper to genuinely consider a career as a kicker in the NFL? That is a question we've posed on the podcast many times before. Indeed, Kasper Schmeichel - as you'll be reminded of in this episode - provided a very frank response when comparing the two disciplines a couple of years ago. Now, we have an answer. For Josh Lambo did just that. Following a short career in MLS - a short career, no less, which still encompassed starring for the USA at various youth international tournaments and very nearly bagging a move to Everton - he made the brave and ultimately successful decision to switch sports at the age of 22. The result: A fruitful decade of breaking records and cementing his name as the most accurate kicker in Jacksonville Jaguars history. Here, Josh outlines the similarities between goalkeeping and placekicking, why and how he chose one over the other, and the meeting with NBA great Kobe Bryant that he believes reshaped his mindset. Visit joshlambo.com to find out more about the man on a mission to help people change the way they think.

Gamesmanship? Cheating? Poor goalkeeping? Anything other than taking accountability? Those are the questions posed when pondering Ivan Toney's much-talked about opener in Brentford's win over Nottingham Forest at the weekend. From a goalkeeping perspective, we look at whether his ball-tampering tactics should have been flagged earlier by Forest - and whether Matt Turner's wall wasn't positioned properly. "Foul or no foul?" rears its head for a second week running following incidents involving Dean Henderson and Alphonse Areola in a defeat and draw for Crystal Palace and West Ham respectively - and Jason Steele exhibited another distribution masterclass as Brighton were held at home to Wolves. In the EFL, Carl Rushworth continues to impress on loan at Swansea from Brighton, Vaclav Hladky was named Sky's MOM in the top of the table clash between Leicester and Ipswich, Jack Stevens of Cambridge threw his name in the ring for Save of the Weekend, and Dan Connor - Goalkeeper Coach at Forest Green Rovers - stepped up to a caretaker role following the dismissal of Troy Deeney.

Slightly different approach this week. Colin Barnes is a man with skin in the goalkeeping game. After 25 years in the coaching arena, he's contributed to the development of more than 40 professional stoppers over the course of his career (he may have also been Richard Lee's first-ever goalkeeping coach). Now, as Head of Emerging Talent at Crystal Palace, he's scouring South London to find the next generation of Eagles as part of the club's burgeoning academy setup. Not many people within professional and non-league goalkeeping don't know who this man is, so we sat back and let him offer his thoughts on the position, how it's evolved over the years and what the future holds.

Foul or no foul? That was the question on, well, some people's lips following Luton's last-minute equaliser at Burnley over the weekend. With James Trafford appearing to be impeded by Elijah Adebayo, a goal was given and the Twittersphere was split. We look at that incident, as well as Andre Onana's AFCON involvement which could pave the way for Altay Bayindir's long-awaited first piece of action as a Manchester United goalkeeper. Ben Hamer nabbed Performance of the Weekend in the EFL with a stunning display to see Watford leave QPR with three points, while Josh Vickers remains Derby No1 despite Joe Wildsmith hitting double figures for clean sheets prior to being dropped. All that, plus Clean Sheet Club and more GKs On Their Way.

A typically unpredictable and reactive window has resulted in this week's podcast arriving a little later than usually expected. However, we quickly wrap up all the key action from the FA Cup Third Round. Big performances from Nathan Baxter, Dan Grimshaw and Max O'Leary helped Bolton, Blackpool and Bristol City take Premier League sides to respective replays on home soil, Lucas Covolan stayed firm to see Maidstone through to the Fourth Round for the first time since their 1992 reformation, and Cam Dawson saved two penalties inside the opening ten minutes as Sheffield Wednesday saw off Cardiff. Meanwhile, GKs On Their Way rolls on with a further four moves taking place. Special mention to Jed Steer for securing a short-term contract with Peterborough. The ex-Villa man looks set to don the gloves for the first time in almost two years.