Former England international Paul Parker believes the mistakes Illan Meslier makes at this stage of his career will only stand him in good stead for the future. At just 22, Meslier is the second youngest number one goalkeeper in the Premier League and has already racked up 101 appearances during his time at Leeds United.
In that time, Meslier has already established himself as one of Europe's top young 'keepers and is tipped to one day succeed Hugo Lloris as France's number one, despite hefty competition. He has been one of the busiest in his position in recent years, with Meslier making the most saves of any goalkeeper last season with 143.
Meslier also produced one of his finest performances in a Leeds shirt to date at Anfield, making nine saves and winning man of the match as Jesse Marsch's side ran out 2-1 winners, while he was also called upon in the 4-3 win over Bournemouth. That said, though as is common with any goalkeeper, Meslier has made some mistakes in the last few seasons.
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Two major ones from the calendar year of 2022 include failing to save Jonjo Shelvey's free-kick in a 1-0 defeat to Newcastle United, and being tackled almost on his own goal line in a 2-1 loss at Arsenal. However, speaking to BeMyBet.com, 19-time capped former Three Lions man Parker is of the opinion that these sorts of incidents will make him a 'better goalkeeper'.
He said: “And as much as Illan Meslier is very young and I like him, he’s always going to make a silly mistake. And life is about learning young and you learn by that and by the time you get older, you’ll be a better goalkeeper.”
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