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Does Height Matter? Goalkeepers in PL

Does Height Matter – A Look At Premier League Goalkeepers

Does Height Matter? Goalkeepers In The Premier League. One of the most frequent questions we receive on Instagram and Twitter from young goalkeepers from around the world is : “How tall do I have to be to be to make it as a professional goalkeeper?”.

Usually the answer we give is along the lines of: “height doesn’t matter if you are good enough” or “you can outweigh your height disadvantage with different attributes ie. speed, agility, footwork “. However, taking a look at the 36 goalkeepers to have played in the Premier League so far this season, the correct and truthful answer should be: “At least 6 foot”.

Goalkeepers Anonymous

The Facts.

36 goalkeepers have played in at least 1 Premier League game this season, and not a single goalkeeper is recorded officially to be less than 6 foot tall. In fact there are only 5 goalkeepers that are less than 6′-2. That means that a massive massive 86% of goalkeepers to play in the Premier League this season are at least 6′-2 or taller.

The ideal height range seems to be between 6′-2 and 6′-4 with 25 goalkeepers falling between these numbers accounting for 70% of the total goalkeepers to have played this 20/21 season.

The Tallest Keepers?

Nick Pope is one of the tallest goalkeepers in the Premier League

Fraser Forster, Edouard Mendy, Robin Olsen, Robert Sanchez and Nick Pope all come in at massive heights of 6′-5 and above. These keepers are outside the average range of Premier League goalkeeping heights, and as can be seen by their performances, their height does not affect their athleticism, mobility or agility between the sticks. These heights give them an arial advantage and a real presence within their 18 yard box. Premier League new boys, Mendy and Sanchez have really demonstrated this with their arial dominance this season.

The Smallest Keepers?

Jordan Pickford’s incredible agility stops Leeds from scoring

The smallest goalkeepers who play regularly in the league are Mat Ryan and Jordan Pickford. Despite not having the height advantage that the bigger keepers in the league possess, these 2 keepers make up for this with spectacular attributes. Pickford and Matt Ryan are two fantastic shot stoppers with fantastic agility and incredible distribution.

Premier League Goalkeeper Heights

Take a look at the full list of 36 goalkeepers to have played in the 20/21 Premier League season and their corresponding heights.

*Heights taken from fbref.com and table is ordered in alphabetical order*

GoalkeeperHeight
Adrian San Miguel (Liverpool)190cm (6-3)
Alex Runarsson (Arsenal)185cm (6-1)
Alisson Becker (Liverpool)193 cm (6-4)
Alphonse Areola (Fulham)192cm (6-3½)
Kepa Arrizabalaga (Chelsea)189cm (6-2½)
David Button (West Brom)192 cm (6-3½)
Willy Caballero (Chelsea)185cm (6-1)
Kiko Casilla (Leeds)190cm (6-3)
Karl Darlow (Newcastle)190cm (6-3)
Ederson (Man City)188cm (6-2)
Lukasz Fabianski (West Ham)190cm (6-3)
Fraser Forster (Southampton)201cm (6-7)
David De Gea (Man United)192 cm (6-3½)
Vicente Guaita (Crystal Palace)191cm (6-3)
Dean Henderson (Man United)188cm (6-2)
Sam Johnstone (West Brom)191cm (6-3)
Caoimhin Kelleher (Liverpool)188cm (6-2)
Bernd Leno (Arsenal)190cm (6-2½)
Hugo Lloris (Tottenham)188cm (6-2)
Emiliano Martinez (Aston Villa)193 cm (6-4)
Alex McCarthy (Southampton)193 cm (6-4)
Edouard Mendy (Chelsea)197 cm (6-5)
Illan Meslier (Leeds)193 cm (6-4)
Robin Olsen (Everton)198cm (6-5½)
Rui Patricio (Wolves)189cm (6-2½)
Bailey Peacock-Farrell (Burnley)193 cm (6-4)
Jordan Pickford (Everton)185cm (6-½)
Nick Pope (Burnley)198cm (6-5½)
Aaron Ramsdale (Sheffield) 188cm (6-2)
Darren Randolph (West Ham)188cm (6-2)
Marek Rodak (Fulham)188cm (6-2)
Mathew Ryan (Arsenal)184cm (6-0)
Robert Sanchez (Brighton)197cm (6-5)
Kasper Schmeichel (Leicester)189cm (6-2)
Zack Steffen (Man City)191cm (6-3)

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