Goalscoring goalkeepers!
■ In a career that spanned a quarter-century (1990-2015) Brazilian goalkeeper Rogerio Ceni scored a record 131 goals for his only club, Sao Paulo. The reason why Ceni rattled up such a high goal-tally was simple – he was his club’s chief penalty and free-kick taker, netting over 100 times from dead ball situations. And there were wonderful scenes when he strode forward to bang home his 100th career goal in 2011 - a cracking free-kick for against Corinthians. When he retired in the summer of 2015, Ceni had got into the club's list of the top 10 goalscorers… a remarkable feat.
■ Paraguay-born goalkeeper José Luis Chilavert was a real character and a very reliable penalty taker and striker of the ball from free-kicks. During his career (1982-2004) he racked up 67 goals, including 48 for one of his clubs, Velez Sarsfield, and eight for his country at full international level. He played at two World Cups and once netted a hat-trick of penalties for Velez Sarsfield in a 6-1 derby win over FC Ferro Carril Oeste. However, one of his best efforts was an outrageous quickly-taken free-kick from inside his own half for Velez against River Plate in 1996. A moment so unexpected it was even missed by the TV cameras!
■ The Great Dane, Peter Schmeichel, scored 13 goals during his professional career. Perhaps his best effort was a thumping stoppage time header for Manchester United in their 1995 UEFA Cup-tie with Russian side Rotor Volgograd, although it wasn't enough to avert a rather embarrassing exit on away goals, and the other - the first scored by a goalkeeper in the Premier League – came when he wellied home a half-volley for Aston Villa in a 3-2 defeat away to Everton. However, Schmeichel himself says the best goal he ever scored never counted! He found the net with an overhead kick in Manchester United's FA Cup replay defeat to Wimbledon in 1997, but was standing in an offside position!
■ Colombian ‘keeper René in Higuita was nicknamed 'The Madman' and with good reason. Best known for his 'Scorpion Kick' when he played for his country against England at Wembley in 1995, Higuita scored plenty of goals - 44 in fact, during a crazy career which spanned 24 years: 19852009. The original sweeperkeeper, he would often throw the ball down and proceed to dribble it forward out of his penalty area before sending it sailing downfield – most of the time! Nevertheless, he was a fine striker of a free-kick and penalty, confirmed by his scoring record. Famously it was Higuita’s horrible mistake at the 1990 World Cup – when he dithered with the ball at his feet near the halfway line - that led to Colombia being eliminated by Cameroon in the last-16.
■ Two other ‘keepers who have impressive scoring records are the Mexican Jorge Campos who bagged 46 goals between 1988 and 2004 and the Bulgarian Dimitar Ivankov who notched 42 (1996-2011).
■ Tony Read is the top English-born goalscoring ‘keeper with 12 for Luton Town between 1964 and 1972.
■ And I can find only six Spanish ‘keepers who scored one goal during their careers: Daniel Aranzubia for Deporto La Coruna (2011); Eloy Casais for Santa Coloma (2014); David Cobeno for Rayo Vallecano (2000); Iago Herrerin for Atletic Madrid ‘B’ (2011); Andres Palop for Sevilla (2007) and Nauzet for Fuerteventura (2002).