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davieG

Greatest Leicester City XI - Goalkeepers

By davieG, in Leicester City Forum

Goalkeepers  

181 members have voted

  1. 1. Who would you vote for?

    • Gordon Banks
      102
    • Tim Flowers
      14
    • Kasey Keller
      10
    • Sandy McLaren
      0
    • Peter Shilton
      45
    • Ian Walker
      3
    • Mark Wallington
      7

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davieG

davieG

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Today, we launch the search for the greatest ever Leicester City team of all time. It is likely to be a controversial journey as we whittle down the total of more than 1,000 who have donned the City shirt to just 11.

The first step has been to produce a shortlist of goalkeepers, defenders, midfielders, strikers and managers for our team playing a 4-3-3 formation.

 
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The criteria for selection was that, although there was no minimum number of appearances, it was the player's form while playing for City that was paramount.

Therefore, players such as Dion Dublin, Martin Keown and Roberto Mancini did not qualify for our shortlist as they were in the twilight of their careers when at City.

 
No current players were considered, and neither was manager Nigel Pearson. Time and another generation will judge their place in history.
 
There is also a skew towards the modern game as the physical demands and training have increased in the game, although some players would have been stars in any era.

It is difficult to compare players of different generations, but here goes. We'll start with the goalkeepers.

GOALKEEPERS

Gordon Banks

Position: Goalkeeper

Appearances: 356

Verdict: What a way to start our search with a World Cup winner from 1966, not only a legend of Leicester City, but English football. There was nothing flashy about Banks, but he was technically brilliant and had excellent reflexes and was agile. He cost City just £7,000 and featured in the FA Cup final defeats in 1961 and 63, before being part of the 1964 League Cup winning team. Left City in April 1967 for Stoke.

Tim Flowers

Position: Goalkeeper

Appearances: 66

Verdict: An England international who filled the boots of the departing Kasey Keller in 1999. Flowers’s City career was affected by injury, but there was no doubting that, on his day, he was a top-class keeper. A big commanding presence and top-notch shot-stopper who inspired his defenders and was popular with the fans. City paid a total of £1.4million for him, and he retired from playing in 2001.

Kasey Keller

Position: Goalkeeper

Appearances: 125

Verdict: The much-travelled Keller arrived at City in 1996 as the club started their spell in the Premier League under manager Martin O’Neill. A £900,000 buy from Millwall, Keller was the rock on which the City side was built, and he was one of the best shot-stoppers in the game. His pedigree is beyond doubt and he won international honours for the USA while at City. He went on to make 102 caps for his country and played in the 1998 World Cup in France, while at City. He left the following year to play in Spain.

Sandy McLaren

Position: Goalkeeper

Appearances: 256

Verdict: The natural talent of this Scottish keeper, who starred for City from 1933 until the outbreak of World War Two, is beyond question. He made his first of five appearances for Scotland as an 18-year-old and is still the youngest keeper to make his debut for the national team. Famed for a powerful clearing punch and calmness, he won Division Two honours with the club in 1937.

Peter Shilton

Position: Goalkeeper

Appearances: 339, one goal

Verdict: Where do you start with Shilton? Probably the biggest recommendation is that City were prepared to sell World Cup winner Banks, in 1967, and keep hold of Shilton, who was attracting the interest of other clubs. A perfectionist, Shilton was a great shot-stopper, had marvellous reflexes, was agile and commanding in the box and in dealing with crosses. He was an England international while at City and went on to win 125 caps for his country. He left City for £325,000 in 1974 and, of course, became a European Cup winner – sadly with Nottingham Forest.

Ian Walker

Position: Goalkeeper

Appearances: 156

Verdict: This is probably our most controversial choice, but we have to remember that he played four times for England and was still at the height of his powers in 2001 when he arrived at City from Tottenham for £2.5m. A great shot-stopper with unwavering confidence. Convinced?

Mark Wallington

Position: Goalkeeper

Appearances: 460

Verdict: After Banks and Shilton came Wallington. Has any club ever had such a trio of goalkeepers? Wallington was, in many ways, unfortunate to follow the legendary pair because he was an exceptional goalkeeper in his own right. He arrived at City as cover for Shilton and made his debut in 1972. After an injury in early 1975, he returned to the side and then did not miss a City game for more than seven years – playing a record total of 331 consecutive games for the club.

Also considered, but failed to make the shortlist:

John Anderson (1949-59) is unlucky to not make our shortlist with 277 appearances for City, one Scottish cap and a couple of Division Two titles to his name. An agile and brave keeper, Anderson’s career at City was effectively ended by the emergence of Banks.

Jim McLaren (1927-33) is yet another Scottish keeper who made 180 appearances for City before the arrival of his namesake -– no relation. A big commanding keeper who was in control of his penalty area.

Kevin Poole (1991-97) made 193 appearances for City after manager Brian Little paid £40,000 for him. He was part of the 1996 promotion campaign and featured in two Wembley play-offs. A consistent performer but, many would argue, an unlucky one. Any mistakes tended to come on the big stage or in big games.

Walter Smith (1904-1906) made 85 appearances for Leicester Fosse before leaving for Manchester City. He is generally recognised as the club’s first star-quality keeper and had a reputation for saving penalties. He was only 5ft 8in tall but agile and brave.

WHO WOULD YOU VOTE FOR

The shortlists compiled for the greatest ever Leicester City team are NOT final.

You still have the chance to influence the final decision, if you believe we have got it wrong.

Sport, and particularly football, is all about opinion and all are welcome.

However, please bear in mind the criteria for selection.

There is no minimum number of appearances, although players’ form while playing for City only will be taken into consideration.

Players from every City era will be taken into consideration, but no members of the present squad will be considered.

You can have your say on our shortlists – goalkeepers today, defenders tomorrow, midfielders on Thursday, strikers on Friday and managers on Saturday – in a variety of ways.

You can email us, put Greatest Ever Team in your subject field, at: [email protected]

You can post a comment at the end of this article.

Or, of course, you can write to us at Greatest Ever Team, Sportsdesk, Leicester Mercury, St George St, Leicester, LE1 9FQ

Read more: http://www.thisisleicestershire.co.uk/story-19523701-detail/story.html?#ixzz2ZBr6KLXB 
Follow us: @thisisleics on Twitter | thisisleicestershire on Facebook

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Leicester_Numan

Leicester_Numan

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Looks like people are judging it on Banks being a world cup winner at Leicester and Shilton winning 2 European cups for the enemy. No way in the world was Banks better than Shilton. The club chose to sell Banks to replace him with a kid and it wasn't a mistake, that should tell you everything you need to know

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Fox92

Fox92

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I've only ever seen Walker, Keller and Flowers. So in recent years, it's a tough one.

 

However, Gordon Banks. Known to many football fans as 'the greatest goalkeeper ever' and I'm not just talking ourselves and Stoke fans. A World Cup winner playing for Leicester, we'll never see again, which is why I would always vote Banks if we were going to make a statue.

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okie fox

okie fox

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If Shilton had been older than Banks, it would have been the other way around (Shilton would have been sold for the younger model).

 

Banks was the greatest goalkeeper I have ever seen.  He made it look so easy because his positioning and anticipation was so great.  Also, on breakaways, he didn't flop down like so many goalies do nowadays.  He made the forward commit first and most of the time they shot straight at him because of his positioning.

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okie fox

okie fox

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There is also a skew towards the modern game as the physical demands and training have increased in the game, although some players would have been stars in any era.

 

What about the physical demands in the old days?  Boggy energy-sapping pitches, leather balls that felt like cannonballs to head because they absorbed water, slippery balls to control, and no substitutes.  Don't know if some modern players could deal with those conditions.

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davieG

davieG

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What about the physical demands in the old days?  Boggy energy-sapping pitches, leather balls that felt like cannonballs to head because they absorbed water, slippery balls to control, and no substitutes.  Don't know if some modern players could deal with those conditions.

Games on consecutive days, home and away at Christmas & Easter.

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indierich06

indierich06

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What about the physical demands in the old days?  Boggy energy-sapping pitches, leather balls that felt like cannonballs to head because they absorbed water, slippery balls to control, and no substitutes.  Don't know if some modern players could deal with those conditions.

 

I imagine some of those old players would love to have played in the conditions that most modern players enjoy today. I do think modern players are more physically fit, have better stamina and endurance than those players would have though.

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davieG

davieG

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I've never seen Pele play but I think I can safely say he's better than Junior Lewis.

 

Ah! but how much better would Pele have been if he'd had Peter Taylor as his mentor, coach and manager?

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Bert

Bert

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Fair enough, but I've never seen Shilton or Banks, but I can tell you for sure that they were both better players for Leicester than Flowers.

 

 

I've never seen Pele play but I think I can safely say he's better than Junior Lewis.

Was just stating my reasons for the vote.

 

If I was picking my greatest ever team, it'd be based on the players I've witnessed. That's not to say said players weren't/aren't better than what i've picked.

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Leicester_Numan

Leicester_Numan

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Shilton for ability, Wallington for loyalty, Banks for iconic status.

Exactly, Shilton was a far superior keeper, in a generation of great keepers round the world, he was the best. Banks was the greatest of his generation without a doubt but out of a choice of very few
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pSinatra

pSinatra

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I want to vote for Wallington as he was my favourite when I was young, but it's the flip of a coin between Shilton & Banks.  I never saw Banks play & Shilton achieved far too much at other clubs.  Shilton - as I know how good he was & seeing as he's a New Parks lad.

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