When it comes to defining the role of a goalkeeper, current and former players have often talked about its demanding requirements.
Oliver Kahn once said you need a certain element of insanity. Gianluigi Buffon affirmed you need to be a masochist and an egocentric. Brad Friedel described the goal as a place from where there’s no escape, as it’s just you and the opponent charging forward. There is no hiding place. It can be a solitary responsibility, with the burden of a loss falling on a goalkeeper's shoulders. In the words of David de Gea, the goalkeeper “remains in the spotlight forever.