keepers who have been backup their whole career

what keepers have always played backup through their whole career ? is this a waste of career ? imo it can go both ways, on one hand you get paid to train basically and on the other hand you have wasted your career being a backup. opinions ?

what keepers have always played backup through their whole career ? is this a waste of career ? imo it can go both ways, on one hand you get paid to train basically and on the other hand you have wasted your career being a backup. opinions ?

Yea I have often thought about this. Basically at least 50% of keepers thoughout the Premier League and Football League are under used as there is only one position to fill.

I remember something about Tony Warner (remember him) being known as 'bonus' at Liverpool because he always got paid a win bonus & clean sheet bonus even though he rarely left the subs bench.

But at the opposite end we had Tom Heaton here last season who was a great keeper in his own right but was warming the bench behind David Marshall. It was to his personal credit that he was happy to leave a successful Premiership bound club for that utter shite aka Bristol City so he could actually earn his money.

When Joe Lewis joined us in the summer I wondered just how many games he expected to play? As it happened there were no great Cup runs this season, so his playing time has been very limited. Is he really going to hang around for another season like this one?

When Lewis signed he knew he was joining a side that were vying for promotion.
He also knew the side he was joining had a strong number 1.
All he can do is keep the pressure up and hope David has a bad patch.

When Lewis signed he knew he was joining a side that were vying for promotion.
He also knew the side he was joining had a strong number 1.
All he can do is keep the pressure up and hope David has a bad patch.

Well that does throw up another paradox, do reserve keepers really wish that their colleagues to lose form or fittness just so they get a stab at the first team?

Obviously you are correct and Lewis knew the score before joining us but that is the whole point of this thread.

Are there certain Keepers who are happy to be backups all of their careers?

jason brown is a prime example of some one who has been back up pretty much his whole career, he had one good spell with gillingham and ever since he has just played second fiddle, waste of a career or just smart thinking ?

Steve Harper springs to mind

jason brown is a prime example of some one who has been back up pretty much his whole career, he had one good spell with gillingham and ever since he has just played second fiddle, waste of a career or just smart thinking ?

Funny enough as soon as I saw this thread I thought 'Jason Brown'

Without a doubt JB got very lucky with a move to Blackburn who then were a Premiership side and managed by ex-Wales boss Mark Hughes, who knew the keeper from international duties.

His wages must have gone through the roof compared to what he got at Gillingham and that then set a cycle which mean't he was always going to be a reserve keeper, because the money was too good to do otherwise.

So the answer has to be 'smart thinking'

Steve Harper springs to mind

Yea good call.

jason brown is a prime example of some one who has been back up pretty much his whole career, he had one good spell with gillingham and ever since he has just played second fiddle, waste of a career or just smart thinking ?

Funny enough as soon as I saw this thread I thought 'Jason Brown'

Without a doubt JB got very lucky with a move to Blackburn who then were a Premiership side and managed by ex-Wales boss Mark Hughes, who knew the keeper from international duties.

His wages must have gone through the roof compared to what he got at Gillingham and that then set a cycle which mean't he was always going to be a reserve keeper, because the money was too good to do otherwise.

So the answer has to be 'smart thinking'

smart thinking if your motivated by money, awful move if your a playing'career man, money does make the world go around but in years to come he can never really say that he achieved any real success in his career

Lets be honest if you lot could earn more money for less work you'd do it.

Lets be honest if you lot could earn more money for less work you'd do it.

in any normal paying job yes of course you would, but with the wages paid in football at least double normal wages if you play in league 2 - then I would think a lot of footballers would be willing to take a pay cut to pursue a career - pursuing a career = more games = get better = bigger clubs become interested

jason brown is a prime example of some one who has been back up pretty much his whole career, he had one good spell with gillingham and ever since he has just played second fiddle, waste of a career or just smart thinking ?

Funny enough as soon as I saw this thread I thought 'Jason Brown'

Without a doubt JB got very lucky with a move to Blackburn who then were a Premiership side and managed by ex-Wales boss Mark Hughes, who knew the keeper from international duties.

His wages must have gone through the roof compared to what he got at Gillingham and that then set a cycle which mean't he was always going to be a reserve keeper, because the money was too good to do otherwise.

So the answer has to be 'smart thinking'

smart thinking if your motivated by money, awful move if your a playing'career man, money does make the world go around but in years to come he can never really say that he achieved any real success in his career

Totally correct but money does talk no matter how much we might pretend otherwise.

Lets be honest if you lot could earn more money for less work you'd do it.

in any normal paying job yes of course you would, but with the wages paid in football at least double normal wages if you play in league 2 - then I would think a lot of footballers would be willing to take a pay cut to pursue a career - pursuing a career = more games = get better = bigger clubs become interested

I'm with Kingdong here.

Human nature would make you take the bigger pay packet, especially if you were married and had children.

Problem with your theroy is players would quite rightly factor in that they might suffer a career ending injury at anytime which would affect their earning capability in the football industry.

Lets be honest if you lot could earn more money for less work you'd do it.

in any normal paying job yes of course you would, but with the wages paid in football at least double normal wages if you play in league 2 - then I would think a lot of footballers would be willing to take a pay cut to pursue a career - pursuing a career = more games = get better = bigger clubs become interested

I'm with Kingdong here.

Human nature would make you take the bigger pay packet, especially if you were married and had children.

Problem with your theroy is players would quite rightly factor in that they might suffer a career ending injury at anytime which would affect their earning capability in the football industry.

good point, it really does come down to the individual at the end of the day, if your ambitious and success driven then you wont care about injuries or pay etc, but obviously money comes first if your a family man, fair play to him though theres not many people who can make a career of keeping a bench warm

Steven Harper has spoke about this in the past. He says it's obviously frustrating but you still feel part of the squad and it has given him invaluable coaching experience as he is always on the bench.

For me i'd rather play at any level but that's easy for me to say.

Stuart Taylor and Ross Turnbull are two of the best examples I can think of. I can barely remember Stuart Taylor playing a single game since his Arsenal days and brief loan spell with us?

Anders Lindegard and Ross Turnball are good examples. They are wasting there careers but they probably don't care since their getting paid alot.

A guy called Peyton for West Ham is who I remember.

When these fantasy football competitions first came out the rulings were such that is was best to select a goalkeeper that did not play but was on the bench. Everyone in the country picked this guy because he must have been on the bench for the Hammers for years.

In fairness if I was at Manchester United for example and was only warming the bench and on 50,000 I would rather go to a club and get first team Football getting paid 10,000.. still a lot of money either way.

Aussie keeper Zeljko Kalac spent the majority of his career on the bench at AC Milan and as number 2 to Bosnich and Schwartzer for Australia. Seems strange, you would think they would have aspirations to go to another club and get a game.

Ross Turnbull. Had half a season with us as he couldn't get a regular game with Middlesbrough, been 3rd choice at Chelsea for a a while now.

In fairness if I was at Manchester United for example and was only warming the bench and on 50,000 I would rather go to a club and get first team Football getting paid 10,000.. still a lot of money either way.

Yeah course you would.

13 million over a 5 year contract or 3 million. Hmmmm.

A guy called Peyton for West Ham is who I remember.

When these fantasy football competitions first came out the rulings were such that is was best to select a goalkeeper that did not play but was on the bench. Everyone in the country picked this guy because he must have been on the bench for the Hammers for years.

Gerry Payton who was Eires first choice for years but rarely played a club match.

Newcastle's Rob Elliot is a back up keeper waiting to happen. Some great shouts with Stuart Taylor and Steve Harper. I think Steve Simonsen is another one until Paddy Kenny left Sheffield United. Radek Cerny as well.

Martyn Margetson. 6 years at Man City and played 50 times

Stuart Taylor - aged 32 and he's only played 81 games. Now currently with Reading as back up (again) to Alex McCarthy and Adam Federici. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stuart_Tay ... rn_1980%29

What a waste of a career.

Tomasz Kusczak is another good example. Was at Machester United for 7 years and made about 25 appearances! But I read somewhere he had special dispensation for being a keeper and was given Premiership winners medals the 3 times United won the league despite not making the usual 10 appearances required to get a medal.
Probably earned good coin at Man United, won a few medals and then decided 2 drop a division and play regularly for Brighton.
He's played his career about right I reckon!

In fairness if I was at Manchester United for example and was only warming the bench and on 50,000 I would rather go to a club and get first team Football getting paid 10,000.. still a lot of money either way.

Yeah course you would.

13 million over a 5 year contract or 3 million. Hmmmm.

Getting paid 10,000 is still a lot of money you bellend.

In fairness if I was at Manchester United for example and was only warming the bench and on 50,000 I would rather go to a club and get first team Football getting paid 10,000.. still a lot of money either way.

Yeah course you would.

13 million over a 5 year contract or 3 million. Hmmmm.

Getting paid 10,000 is still a lot of money you bellend.

I done the maths for you big fella. No one turns down 13m in favour of 3m.

Your example was a nonsense.

In fairness if I was at Manchester United for example and was only warming the bench and on 50,000 I would rather go to a club and get first team Football getting paid 10,000.. still a lot of money either way.

Yeah course you would.

13 million over a 5 year contract or 3 million. Hmmmm.

Getting paid 10,000 is still a lot of money you bellend.

I done the maths for you big fella. No one turns down 13m in favour of 3m.

Your example was a nonsense.

If I was not getting anymore than 10 games a season I would leave.