Goalkeeper profiles: Iker Casillas, Real Madrid

In my previous goalkeeper profiles I’ve concentrated on keepers who are perhaps not world-renowned but are respected in their respective leagues. I’ve decided to buck that trend and pay homage to perhaps the world’s best custodian – Real Madrid’s Iker Casillas.

At just 27-years-old Casillas is still young for a goalkeeper, but extremely well decorated. He became Real’s first-choice keeper at just 18-years-old. This would be no mean feat at any club but at Real Madrid it is frankly unbelievable. In 2000 he became the youngest ever goalkeeper to play in a Champions League final as Real ran out 3-0 winners over Spanish rivals Valencia, just four days after his nineteenth birthday.

However, it was Casillas’ exploits in the 2002 Champions League final that sealed Casillas’ place among Real Madrid’s legends. In the early stages of the 2001/02 season Casillas lost his place in the starting eleven to Cesar Sanchez and his Madrid career looked to be in doubt. The Spanish giants reached the Champions League final where they faced German side Bayer Leverkusen and Sanchez suffered an injury in the 68th minute. Real had a 2-1 lead but Leverkusen were running the show and pushing hard for an equaliser. Casillas pulled off a string of frankly ridiculous saves as the Bernabeu side upset the football odds and clung on to record their ninth Champions League/European Cup title.

Casillas is regarded by many as the best keeper in the world and has made nearly 350 appearances for Real. His performances for the Spanish giants led to his inclusion in the Spanish national side and he was the captain in their 2008 European Championship success. Casillas is still the Spanish number one and is well on his way to notching up 100 appearances for his country. Rumours emerged in January 2009 that mega-rich English side Manchester City were willing to splash out a huge sum to secure his services and pay the player himself £11million a season but Casillas rejected the offer and pledged his future to the Bernabeu outfit.

Gareth Freeman writes for Betfair, the world’s best betting exchange. Get the latest insider scoop on all your favorite leagues at Betfair today!