Newcastle United have never been known for their defensive steel in the Premier League era. An average of 1.37 goals conceded per game since the competition’s inception is reflective of how poorly the Magpies have fared in keeping the opposition at bay.
Even when Newcastle were at their best during the “Entertainers” era peak in the mid-90s, the Toon were renowned for their attacking flair and legendary goalscorers rather than a steely backline. Despite this, supporters have always had a reliable goalkeeper to call upon.
In recent years, the man between the sticks at St James’ Park has often been the saviour as the club endured several relegation battles under Mike Ashley. Nick Pope’s arrival for £10million adds another experienced goalkeeper to Eddie Howe’s ranks as he aims to propel the Magpies up the table.
If the England international can replicate his Burnley form, Newcastle will have another reliable shot-stopper akin to those of yesteryear. ChronicleLive ranks the top five goalkeepers to represent United in the Premier League era.
5 Shaka Hislop
Hislop was signed by Kevin Keegan ahead of the iconic 1995-96 season, battling it out with another player on this list for the number one jersey. Having won the initial race, an unfortunate injury in December saw him sidelined as Newcastle infamously went on to blow a 12-point lead.
The Trinidad and Tobago international made 71 appearances in three seasons at St James’ Park and was recently awarded Freedom of Newcastle for his efforts to tackle discrimination.
4 Pavel Srnicek
In truth, there was little between Srnicek and Hislop - the two goalkeepers who competed for a starting place in the mid-90s. However, the late Czech international is awarded the nod for his longevity, having arrived under Jim Smith when the club were stuck in the Second Division.
After initial struggles on Tyneside under Smith and later Ossie Ardiles, Srnicek was dropped in favour of Tommy Wright and would not return to the fold until the 1992-93 campaign. Keegan backed Srnicek in the years that followed as Newcastle returned to the top flight until Hislop arrived in 1995.
The Magpies re-signed the goalkeeper as a 36-year-old in 2006 as backup to Shay Given. He made a further two appearances before being released at the end of the season.
3 Tim Krul
Krul had the potential to finish his career as number one on this list given his initial promise. A legendary debut in the UEFA Cup against Palermo saw the Dutchman touted to achieve wonders on Tyneside, with a string of cat-like saves ensuring Newcastle clinched a 1-0 away win.
Several loan stints saw Krul learn his craft before replicating his Palermo heroics on the opening day of the 2009-10 Championship season. After an injury to Steve Harper at half-time, the young shot-stopper came on under severe pressure and helped Chris Hughton’s men earn a crucial away point.
The following season, Krul was established as the Magpies’ number one and as one of the top flight’s best up-and-coming goalkeepers. He contributed massively towards the fifth-placed finish in 2011-12 but injuries, a dip in form and Steve McClaren’s preference for Rob Elliot curtailed his Toon career.
2 Martin Dubravka
The man Newcastle’s new goalkeeper will need to displace between the sticks, Dubravka v Pope draws parallels to the Hislop v Srnicek duel. Signed in January 2018 on loan as a relative unknown, the Slovak repaid the faith shown in him immediately with a match-winning performance against Manchester United on his debut.
Rafa Benitez forced Mike Ashley to stump up £4million in the summer to make his loan move permanent - and he has had an omnipotent grip on the number one shirt ever since. In 2019-20, Dubravka made more saves than any goalkeeper in the division - an indictment of how poor the defence in front of him has been.
The competition between Pope and Dubravka is an interesting dynamic and gives Eddie Howe a headache ahead of the upcoming campaign.
1 Shay Given
There is no question who deserves to be placed top of this list. Signed in 1997 by Kenny Dalglish, Given made 462 appearances for Newcastle - placing him third on the all-time list behind Frank Hudspeth and Jimmy Lawrence.
The Irishman represented the Magpies in FA Cup finals, the Champions League and throughout the entertaining Sir Bobby Robson era. An agile goalkeeper who was short in stature, Given is an all-time great at Newcastle despite leaving in murky circumstances in 2009.
His heroics in a Toon shirt came despite playing behind a below-par back four. If Pope can replicate a third of the success Given had on Tyneside, he would have justified his £10million price tag tenfold.
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