Joel Robles has joined Leeds United on a one-year deal, in what the Spaniard has described as the 'perfect' step in his career. The 32-year-old will provide competition for Illan Meslier and Kristoffer Klaesson.
The goalkeeper is back in the Premier League after four years away, where he had spells with Wigan and Everton. At both of those clubs, he was signed by Roberto Martinez, who rated the Spaniard highly.
During his loan spell at Wigan, Robles won the FA Cup, and when Martinez moved onto Everton that summer, he made the goalkeeper one of his first signings.
When Robles signed for Everton, Martinez said: "We've brought in a goalkeeper with quality in Joel. With the experience he has already in the Premier League, and having just won the European Championship with Spain - I think we realise the type of player we've brought into the football club.
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"You always look at the background when you sign a player. You try to see where he's learned his trade and where he's developed as a footballer, and Joel comes from a very rich vein of successful goalkeepers (at Atletico Madrid).
"David de Gea has come over to the Premier League - and David and Joel grew together. I was delighted to see Joel performing in the manner that he has."
Robles is a presence in between the posts, standing at 6'6", not too far off former Manchester City stopper Costel Pantilimon, who is the tallest ever Premier League goalkeeper at 6'8".
However, despite his size, Robles sees playing out from the back as one of his biggest strengths. The 32-year-old has spent the last four years at Real Betis, and upon joining the club, he said the main reason he signed was due to the fact that then-Betis boss Quique Setien wanted to play out from the back.
In an interview with La Liga lowdown in 2018, Robles said: "The style of football here is completely different, and that's why I've come here.
"I enjoy when I play it short to my defenders. At Everton we also had a lot of the football."
Similarly, in an interview with Diario AS, Robles said he enjoyed the 'responsibility' of playing out from the back.
"I wouldn't say that I am completely comfortable with it but it's an aspect which I'm working on," he said.
"You are always at risk of making mistakes but we're working hard in training to reduce those risks. It's a technique I like because it gives me more responsibility, it means you are also involved in helping the team move forward and not just the guy at the back who has to make saves."
He can also use his height to his advantage, with claiming crosses a strength, and while in England, he boasted a good record when facing penalties. During his time at Everton, Robles faced eight penalties and saved three of them.
That means he saved 37.5% percent of the penalties he faced while at the Toffees, when studies have shown that an average of 17.57% of all spot-kicks are saved by the goalkeeper. In a penalty shootout victory over Norwich in 2015, Robles saved two of the five penalties he faced.
Robles has the size and athleticism to make saves and claim crosses that other goalkeepers may not be able to. Much of Robles criticism during his time at Everton was that he was slightly error prone and erratic. A string of errors towards the end of the 2016/17 season led to him being dropped by Ronald Koeman.
"He has dropped his level in recent weeks," said Koeman. "That's enough reason to change."
With Mesiler firmly Leeds' number one, game time for Robles will be limited, but Leeds are getting a goalkeeper who enjoys playing out from the back, who is a big presence in between the posts and boasts considerable experience at the top level.
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