Brad Friedel has claimed that Alisson Becker could be the best Premier League goalkeeper of all time.
The Liverpool star arrived from AS Roma in 2018 and has been a revelation ever since – becoming a huge part of Jurgen Klopp’s side and picking up every major trophy possible since his arrival on Merseyside.
There have, of course, been some world-class ‘keepers over the years in England’s top-flight, but ex-Red Friedel believes the Brazil international is superior.
“Alisson is way up there. People could think he’s the best of all time and have an argument for him. Others may think it’s Schmeichel, or Seaman, or Van der Sar: they’re all in the conversation and it comes down to who you like,” Friedel told 888sport.
“But I would not argue against someone thinking he is the best ever.”
Manchester City ‘keeper and Alisson’s fellow Brazilian Ederson is viewed as the best in the world by some, but the American was keen to highlight that he views the Reds No. 1 ‘slightly’ ahead of the Pep Guardiola’s man and explained why.
“They’re different keepers and I would put Alisson ahead slightly. Ederson is better with his feet. He’s special with his feet; superb. Alisson is probably a touch better with shot-stopping overall. They’re the same on crosses and one-on-ones,” the former USA International added.
“Maybe Alisson is a larger figure and has a bigger presence but with Ederson I turn on the TV to be entertained by a goalkeeper and it’s not often you can say that.
“I like watching goalkeepers, don’t get me wrong, but I turn on the TV wanting the ball to go to his feet. I want to see how composed he is. I want to see him hit a seventy-yard pass on a dime. He’s fun to watch.”
After our disappointing Champions League final defeat to Real Madrid in 2018, it was clear that a top quality ‘keeper was the missing piece from Klopp’s jigsaw.
Loris Karius was our No. 1 at the time and his two errors during that clash in Kyiv cost us the game – we signed Alisson from Roma that summer and the rest is history.
When we signed the 29-year-old for £67m four years ago, nobody expected him to score a winning goal that would ultimately earn us a spot in the Champions League the following season – but that’s exactly what he did.
This season, he won the Premier League’s Golden Glove award for keeping the most clean sheets alongside the aforementioned Ederson.
He really is a joy to watch and we’re lucky to have him between the sticks – let’s hope for more of the same from him next season as we look to secure more silverware.
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