The Best Goalkeepers Of The Nineties

 

1. Oliver Kahn

Many may be wondering why Kahn is so far down this list because he was, without a shadow of a doubt, as good as any other keeper featured. The reason is simply that Kahn played his best football, and has had more success in, the current decade. He would probably be in my top two best goalkeepers of the 'Noughties'.
Kahn's big break came in 1990 as a 21 year old when he was given the number 1 shirt at his first club Karlsruher SC, a learning curve that saw him eventually playing a key role in his clubs impressive UEFA Cup run of the 1993/94 season, which saw the German's knocked out in the semi-final. His impressive form in this competition saw him win his first international cap and a move to giants Bayern Munich prior to the 1994/95 season for a then world record fee for a goalkeeper. After a frustrating injury marred first season, Kahn established himself as a formidable player for Munich and Germany in the season that followed, picking up his first winners medal as a part of the 1996 UEFA Cup winning team and also winning the 1996 UEFA European Championship with Germany. He went on to play a part in two Bundesliga winning seasons for Munich in 1997 and 1999, as well as winning another 4 coveted domestic trophies.
By the end of the nineties Kahn had begun to be recognised as one of, if not the, best goalkeeper in the world. He won the IFFHS World's Best Goalkeeper award in 1999 and the Best European Goalkeeper award in the same year. He had already been voted Best Bundesliga Keeper four times. It was to be amazing form that he would carry into the next decade, winning the World's Best Goalkeeper again twice and honours which included the UEFA Champions League trophy, but that can be covered more in depth when I inevitably do a hub entitled 'Best Goalkeepers of The Noughties'.

 

2. Edwin van der Sar

Dutchman keeper Edwin van der Sar made his professional debut for Ajax at the age of 20 in 1990, and it didn't take long for him to win major honours when in 1992 his first senior club won the UEFA Cup. This was followed up in 1995 with a UEFA Champions League medal, with van der Sar's form leading to him winning the Best European Goalkeeper award in the same year. The next year Ajax, enjoying one of the most successful spells in their history, reached the final again but Edwin had to put up with a runners up medal after losing a penalty shoot out with Italian giants - and his future club - Juventus.
It was during van der Sar's spell at Ajax that he broke into the Holland national team, first as an unused substitute in the 1994 World Cup, before making his debut in June 1995 against Belarus. van der Sar subsequently played in the team for the next three major international competitions, where the team were knocked on penalties on each occassion. Edwin made a total of 226 domestic league appearances for Ajax and scored 1 goal, he had been part of a team that won the Dutch Eredivisie some 4 times, as well winning 6 other domestic honours. His form for Ajax saw him win the Dutch Football Goalkeeper of the Year 4 times in succession between 1994 and 1997, the only player to do so, and also won the Dutch Golden shoe in 1998.
In 1999 he signed for Italian giants Juventus after deciding that he had achieved all that he could in Dutch football, however he was soon on the substitutes bench following the emergence of Gianluigi Buffon. This was no disgrace however as Buffon has gone on to win World Goalkeeper of the Year some 4 times and has a World Cup winners medal to his name. van der sar has since played football in the English premiership, where he is currently playing for league champions Manchester United at the age of 38.  In four years at Manchester United he has won the English Premiership four times, as well as the UEFA Champions League. Some would argue that van der Sar is still playing as well as ever but the forthcoming 2009/10 season is rumoured to be his last.