Goalkeeper Profiles: Victor Valdes

Barcelona keeper Victor Valdes is a ‘one club man’ having only played for the Catalan giants (ok, also Barca’s B team and youth set-up if you want to get technical) but then again if you were playing for Barca would you want to move on? Despite having never made an appearance for the Spanish national team, with the now retired Santiago Cañizares and Real Madrid’s Iker Casillas being chosen ahead of him, he is still highly regarded in his home country.Valdes has won the “Zamora” twice in his career, no this isn’t a guy who plays up front for Fulham – it is actually the award for La Liga’s top goalkeeper, and Valdes is in fact the current holder of the prestigious title.  His first Zamora title came in the 2004–05 season, also his debut season as the club’s first choice, when he was just 23-years-old. At 27 he still has the time to force his way into the national side but in all honesty, barring either a serious drop in form or injury for Casillas or Liverpool’s Pepe Reina, I doubt he will ever become a regular for his country.

Some aspects of Valdes’ game are continually criticised by fans and pundits alike. He can occasionally be perceived to take unnecessary risks when coming to claim crosses and doesn’t always look that comfortable. However, his shot stopping ability is, in my opinion, second to none and his reflexes have been quite rightly described as ‘cat like’ by some commentators. Valdes played a massive part in Barca’s Champions League success of 2006 when he stopped Thierry Henry, then of Arsenal now a Barca team-mate, from scoring from point-blank range not once but twice as the Spanish side recorded a 2-1 victory in the final, lifting the title for just the second time in their history.

In 2007 Valdes matched a record held by one of Barcelona’s most legendary keepers, Andoni Zubizarreta. Valdes played every minute of every game in La Liga that season, without leaving the starting line-up or being substituted for the entirity of the 2006-07 campaign, a feat that had only been done by Zubizarreta before him. The Barca keeper also holds the club record for keeping the opposition at bay in European football after going 466 minutes without conceding a goal in Europe for the Catalan side. He may not have broken into the national side but the fans at the Camp Nou have ultimate respect for his exploits between the posts and the silverware he has helped the club gather during his tenure in goal.

Valdes seems to be the kind of keeper who ups his game for the big occasions. He was massively influential in the Champions League sucess in 2006 and perhaps equally as influential in Barca’s triumph last season. In the final against Manchester United he was rarely tested but in the semi-final stage against Chelsea he made some hugely important blocks. The first-leg at Camp Nou ended goalless and despite Barca’s dominance it was Chelsea who had arguably the best chance of the game. Rafael Marquez, who is usually such a composed defender, attempted a backpass to his keeper but got it horribly wrong and the lethal Didier Drogba latched onto the loose ball. The big Ivorian saw his first shot saved by Valdes but managed to get to the rebound, only to see Valdes make what may have been the best example of a double-save ever, especially with the stakes so high.

He may not be the most respected individual in his chosen profession but to have maintained his place in the Barca side for so long is a testament to how good Valdes can be. His overall game may require a bit of work but for his shot stopping abilities and reflexes there are few who can match the talented Barcelona custodian. It would be cruel for Valdes not to get the chance to represent his country but with such stiff opposition you can see why he hasn’t made the grade. For me Valdes is well worthy of a mention and a keeper who should inspire younger keepers, purely for his fearless approach to stopping the ball going into the goal.

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