Last week I started doing two top 10's a week with one being about the Premier League and the other being about football in Europe.
When I say football in Europe, I do involve the Premier League in that. I know the UK is no longer in Europe because of Brexit, but I still count the Premier League as a European League because it's one of the five European leagues.
This week's European League's top 10 is Goalkeepers.
The role of a goalkeeper has changed over the last decade as they're being asked to use their feet more alongside being able to keep the ball out of the net with their hands.
It's certainly changed in England in recent years as the majority of teams right across the country are now asking their keepers to use their feet and play out from the back.
Pep Guardiola is the man who encouraged keepers to play out from the back and his way of doing that started when he was at Bayern Munich, when he got Manuel Neuer to play that way and since then, several teams across Europe are now asking their keepers to use their feet more.
Now here is the list:
Iker Casillas
Gianluigi Buffon
Oliver Kahn
Victor Valdes
Manuel Neuer
Peter Schmeichel
Dida
David De Gea
Petr Cech
Thibaut Courtois
Thibaut Courtois
Courtois has arguably been the best keeper in the world over the last few years because of his incredible shot stopping abilities.
He showed a lot of promise during three loan spells at Atletico Madrid and his performances there encouraged Chelsea to finally give him a chance and make him their no.1.
He put himself right among the best keepers in Europe during his four seasons at Chelsea before earning his move to Real, where he didn't get off to the best of starts as he made a lot of mistakes.
But he soon improved in the seasons that followed and put himself right among the very best by making a lot of quality and important saves. He pulled off many of those in the 2022 Champions League final where he was named man of the match.
I've got him down in 10th because the others in the list were valued higher and won more.
David De Gea
De Gea was the best keeper in the world when he was in his prime because of his ability to make countless top class saves to keep his team in games.
He saved Man United's backsides many times during his time there and the amount of times he kept them in games was incredible. They would've finished much lower down the Premier League if it wasn't for him and his incredible shot stopping, which earned him five player of the season award at Man United.
Mistakes did start to creep into his game towards the end of his time at United and that and his lack of silverware are why I have him in 9th.
Dida
Dida won everything on offer at AC Milan including two Champions League's in 2003 and 2007 and he was also part of Brazil's World Cup winning side in 2002.
He was an incredible shot stopper when he was playing as he had long arms, was big and had incredible reflexes. Both of these enabled him to pull off many top quality saves when he was at his best and alongside that, he also commanded his box well.
He has never been put in the same bracket as some of the top keepers in Europe and that could be because they won more. But he should've been because of the brilliant shot stopper he was for both Milan and Brazil.
Petr Cech
Cech was right up there among the best keepers in the world in his prime as he pulled off many top quality saves and was a big presence between the sticks.
He kept a record breaking 15 clean sheets in Chelsea's title winning season in 2005 and he went on to play a key part in the success they achieved during his time at the club.
He was a keeper who commanded his box well alongside making those top quality saves, and his presence between the sticks made Chelsea a very strong team defensively.
Victor Valdes
Valdes might be the most underrated goalkeeper ever as he hasn't always been given the credit he deserves.
He won everything on offer during his 12 years at Barcelona including six La Liga titles and three Champions Leagues. He was a key part of every success he achieved during his long stay at the Nou Camp.
He made many crucial and top quality saves during his time at Barca both from open play and from the penalty spot. All of them played a key part in the success he achieved at Barca.
Peter Schmeichel
If this was about Premier League goalkeepers, Schmeichel would be at no.1 because for me he is the greatest Premier League keeper of all-time.
He pulled off many top quality saves when he was at Man United both in the Premier League and in the Champions League as he kept his side in games time and time again.
His shot stopping ability was second to none and the kind of saves he pulled off just sensational. Not many keepers could pull off the saves he made.
Oliver Kahn
Kahn was an exceptional shot stopper on his day as he made made many top class saves right throughout his career for both club and country with both his feet and his hands.
He showed how good a keeper he was in the 2001 Champions League final as he saved three penalties in the shootout as Bayern Munich beat Valencia on penalties to win the trophy.
He always knew how to position himself in one on one situations, and his reflexes were simply incredible, just like his shot stopping abilities. He was quite possible the best keeper of his generation.
Gianluigi Buffon
Buffon was right up there among the best keepers in Europe right throughout his career and even when he was in the latter stages of his career.
He made loads of top quality saves throughout his career as he was a brilliant shot stopper and a keeper who defended his goal like his life depended on it.
He won everything but the Champions League during his seven seasons at Juventus, and was the captain of the Italy side that won the World Cup in 2006. He was a key part of every successful side he was involved with.
Iker Casillas
Casillas was the best keeper in the world for a good few years because of his ability to make countless top class saves.
He first went to the top during the 2008 Euros where he played a starring role for Spain as they went all the way. He kept himself up there for the next three to four years by putting in a number of high level performances for both club and country.
He later captained Spain to glory at two more tournaments in the 2010 World Cup and Euro 2012, both of which he played a starring role for his team. His leadership and presence between the sticks played a huge role in Spain winning those tournaments.
Manuel Neuer
Neuer has changed the role of a goalkeeper by being comfortable with the ball at his feet, and coming out of his box to clear the ball away. He had to be my no.1 because of this.
He has been a great shot-stopper as well like most keepers are, but it's his distribution that is the most talked about part of his game.
He's been right up there among the best keepers in Europe right throughout his career because of his distribution and shot stopping abilities, which have played a huge part in the success he's achieved for both club and country.
He's won 11 Bundesliga titles and two Champions League's with Bayern Munich and the 2014 World Cup with Germany.
MY TOP 10
Manuel Neuer
Iker Casillas
Gianluigi Buffon
Oliver Kahn
Peter Schmeichel
Victor Valdes
Petr Cech
Dida
David De Gea
Thibaut Courtois
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