Six of the Best: Young goalkeepers handed a chance to impress

Given the decreased physical demands, the average goalkeeping career tends to stretch to the ages 35 to 40 for those mad enough to play between the posts.

However, it’s often been the case that young goalkeepers haven’t been given a chance to prove themselves as early in their careers as outfielders of the same age. Experience in that role is seen by many as a necessity, with the mental strain of knowing that one mistake will likely result in a goal something that some managers feel is too risky to place on a youngster.

That is beginning to change. Indeed, there are a number of keepers beginning to get a consistent taste of first team action where their predecessors may not have, so this week’s ‘Six of the Best’ focuses on the top shot stoppers under 23 years of age in world football at the start of this season.

Augusto Batalla (River Plate / 20 / WhoScored.com rating 6.90)

After it was reported that Argentine youth international Batalla had agreed a loan move to Real Madrid with an option to buy last year, a switch failed to materialise, but Batalla is still very much on the radar of some of Europe’s biggest clubs. He has taken over as first choice keeper at River Plate this season, starting all seven league matches for the club and keeping three clean sheets as River sit third in the Primera Division.

With 18 saves to his name, Batalla is quick off his line and in speed of thought, with strong hands to deflect shots clear of danger. He may not be a Madrid player just yet, but don’t rule it out.

Andre Onana (Ajax / 20 / WhoScored.com rating 6.91)

Having been signed from Barcelona last year Andre Onana was fast-tracked into becoming Ajax first team keeper this season when Jasper Cillessen made the move in the opposite direction. The 20-year old Cameroonian has made a solid start to first team duties thus far, keeping clean sheets in half of his 8 league appearances this season, with a fine penalty stop early in the campaign against Go Ahead Eagles a highlight.

Consistency has been a slight issue to now, as well as his command of his area, but in terms of shot stopping and reflexes the Dutch giants have a very capable young goalkeeper on their books.

Thomas Didillon (Metz / 20 / WhoScored.com rating 6.95)

With injury restricting Thomas Didillon to 27 appearances in Metz’s Ligue 2 promotion campaign last time out, his impact on the defence was clear to see. Indeed, in said appearances the youngster kept 13 clean sheets, with his team keeping just one in the eleven games that he missed. While the promoted side have conceded a whopping 20 goals already this season, Didillon has still managed to keep four clean sheets in that time, picking up the WhoScored.com man of the match award twice already against Angers and Dijon.

With questionable protection from the Metz defence to say the least, the 20-year old has made more saves than any other goalkeeper in Ligue 1 (37) and is now first choice for an impressive France U21 side.

Andreas Vaikla (IFK Norrkoeping / 19 / WhoScored.com rating 6.99)

Having been called into action to make his debut for Swedish champions IFK Norrkoeping early in the Allsvenskan season, giant teenager Andreas Vaikla had appeared to make a starting spot his own. However, despite keeping five clean sheets in his first 10 starts, coinciding with an unbeaten run for the side, the club would sign the more experienced Austrian stopper Michael Langer in the summer. Nevertheless the youngster is still yet to be on the losing side in his 12 league starts this season and boasts the second best save success in the Swedish top-flight (76.5%).

Vaikla, who spent two years at West Brom, earned his first senior international cap for Estonia aged just 19 earlier this year, playing the duration of a 2-0 win over Andorra, but has not featured as his club have lost four of their last 5 games to all but surrender the title to Malmoe.

Yoan Cardinale (Nice / 22 / WhoScored.com rating 7.03)

As the goalkeeper for a side that now boasts the best points per game record in all of Europe’s top 5 leagues, one might assume Cardinale had enjoyed something of an easy ride but that’s certainly not been the case. The 22-year old established himself as Nice’s first choice keeper last season and has started every match of their unbeaten start to the Ligue 1 campaign, keeping five clean sheets and conceding just seven goals.

At just 5’11” he is one of the shorter keepers around, making his command from crosses an obvious target for opponents, but his reflexes and ability to save shots from close range are very strong. Only the aforementioned Didillon has made more saves in Ligue 1 this season (33), while a save success rate of 81% is second only to Cedric Carrasso in France.

Gianluigi Donnarumma (AC Milan / 17 / WhoScored.com rating 7.03)

The fact that the biggest name on this list is also the youngest player to feature highlights just how highly Gigio Donnarumma is regarded in the game. He’s been first choice keeper for Milan for over a year now and one could be forgiven for thinking your being duped when told that the Italian is still only 17, not only due to his sheer size but also an undeniable ability that has already seen him earn senior international recognition.

Given the fragility of the Milan backline in recent seasons the teenager has done more than his fair share in tightening things up for the fallen giant of Italian football, keeping 14 clean sheets since making his debut a year ago - only Buffon and Reina have kept more in that time. Moreover, the teenager's command of his area is already such that he has claimed at least six more crosses than any other keeper in Serie A this season, whilst averaging 3 saves per game.

Which young goalkeepers do you think are the best around right now? Let us know in the comments below