Goalkeepers who have played outfield as Manchester City rumoured to be putting Ederson in midfield
Manchester City’s ongoing injury crisis has thrown up quite an exciting prospect for goalkeeper Ederson.
As previously reported by NationalWorld, the reigning Premier League champions have just 13 senior players fit to play AFC Bournemouth today (November 2), with everyone else sidelined through injury.
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Of the 13, two players - Ortega Moreno and Ederson - are goalkeepers. Now, rumours are circulating that the latter could end up playing in midfield against the Cherries, although this is unconfirmed at the time of publication.
The Brazilian was signed to Manchester City by manager Pep Guardiola for his skill with the ball at his feet, and now this could be taken to the extreme. But he would not be the first goalie to venture beyond the penalty box and put in some heroics.
Here are other goalkeepers who have either played outfield, or given their fans some memorable moments away from the sticks.
Jorge Campos
Goalkeepers like Jorge Campos are like gold dust. The 5ft 9in tall shot-stopper played as a striker when he was a teenager, before transitioning to a goalkeeper. However, at Mexican side Club Universidad Nacional, he fell behind Adolfo Rios in the pecking order.
His solution? Ask to play as a striker in order to get more minutes... and it worked. In his first season outfield, the Mexican scored a staggering 14 goals, and even after getting the number one jersey back, ended up scoring 46 goals before retirement.
Rogerio Ceni
When thinking about goalkeeper who played outfield, Rogerio Ceni was the footballer who immediately came to mind. In his 25-year career, the Brazilian scored a total of 129 goals.
Most of these came from free kicks and penalties, with one goal from open play. But this staggering record makes him the goalkeeper with the most goals in footballing history. Not a bad claim to fame, that.
Since retiring in 2015, he has moved into management and has coached the likes of Sao Paulo, Flamengo and Bahia. God forbid one of his goalies botches a goal kick...
Alisson
Liverpool’s number one goalkeeper Alisson doesn’t have a history of playing outfield - but cometh the hour, cometh the man, and Alisson has stepped up to the mark when the Reds have needed him the most.
It was a 2021 match against West Brom that stood at a stalemate as the two sides approached injury time. Liverpool won a corner and the Brazilian goalie trundled up to the opposing team’s box. What followed was a giant leap from Alisson to beat everyone else to the ball, heading it into the back of the net.
Liverpool fans will remember the goal not only for being a magical moment, but the spark that began an eight-game winning run that helped them get back into the title race.