When it comes to the top leagues in European football, the Premier League is one of the most exciting to watch. Football fans watch the beautiful game for the goals and the excitement of teams attempting to find the net.
There is a small band of players whose main job is to keep the ball out of the net, and that is the Premier League goalkeeper. However, which goalkeepers have been the most successful at their job and kept the most clean sheets since the start of the Premier League in 1992?
Petr Cech (202 clean sheets in 443 for Chelsea and Arsenal)
The giant Czech goalkeeper is regarded by many as the best goalkeeper of the Premier League era. Cech was like a brick wall when it came to opposition teams scoring. With a stellar record of 202 clean sheets in 443 with London duo Chelsea and Arsenal, Cech holds the record for most Premier League clean sheets.
His displays earned Cech the Premier League Golden Glove award on four occasions, with the last of his awards coming in the 2015/16 season while playing for Arsenal.
David James (169 clean sheets in 572 appearances for Liverpool, Portsmouth, Aston Villa, Manchester City and West Ham United)
The former England international made his Premier League debut at Liverpool in 1992 and enjoyed a top-flight career that spanned nearly two decades. The most clean sheets of James’ top-flight career came during seven years with Liverpool.
Despite his longevity, major peer competition contributed to James never winning a Golden Gloves award. However, he was twice voted in the Premier League Team of the Year in seasons 1995-1996 and 2007/08.
Mark Schwarzer (151 clean sheets in 514 appearances for Middlesbrough, Fulham, Chelsea and Leicester City
Like contemporary James, Schwarzer played in the English top flight into his forties. The former Australian international made his Premier League debut in season 1996/97 with Middlesbrough and remained the north east club’s first choice for over a decade. It was with Boro that he picked 92 top-flight clean sheets.
Schwarzer later also became a mainstay at Fulham before brief spells with Chelsea and Leicester at the backend of his career, where he made just four and one appearance, respectively.
David De Gea (147 clean sheets in 415 for Manchester United)
The Spanish goalkeeper arrived at Manchester United from Atletico Madrid in the summer of 2011. After a rocky start to his Red Devils career, De Gea excelled in between the posts for the men from Manchester for 12 seasons before leaving on the expiration of his contract in the summer of 2023.
De Gea won the prestigious Premier League Golden Glove award in seasons 2017–18 and 2022–23, as well as helping United to the English top-flight title in 2013.
David Seaman (141 clean sheets in 344 for Arsenal and Manchester City)
The former England international was a stalwart for Arsenal for 11 Premier League seasons, helping the Gunners win the top-flight title on three occasions, one First Division title and two in the Premier League era. He finished his top-flight career with three clean sheets for Manchester City.
Seaman kept the most clean sheets of any Premier League goalkeeper in seasons 1993–94 and 1998–99, as well as being named in the Premier League Team of the Year in 1996/1997.
Nigel Martyn (137 clean sheets in 372 appearances for Crystal Palace, Leeds and Everton)
During his top-flight career, Martyn was regarded as one of the most reliable shot-stoppers in the Premier League. This was reflected by the former England goalkeeper winning the Premier League Golden Glove award in seasons 1996/97 and 2001/02.
Martyn was also voted into the Premier League Team of the Year in seasons 1997/98, 1998/99 and 1999/2000 while playing for Leeds.
Pepe Reina (136 clean sheets in 297 appearances for Liverpool and Aston Villa)
Reina made his name as a solid goalkeeper in the Premier League during an eight-year career with Liverpool. During his time on Merseyside, the Spaniard won the Premier League Golden Glove award in seasons 2005–06, 2006–07 and 2007–08. He also won the Liverpool Player of the Year in season 2009/10.
Reina left Liverpool permanently in 2014 when he joined Bayern Munich on a three-year deal. However, that wasn’t the end of the former Spanish international in the Premier League, as in season 2019/20, he moved to Aston Villa on loan, where he kept three clean sheets in 12 appearances.
Edwin van der Sar (134 clean sheets in 313 appearances for Fulham and Manchester United)
The Dutchman made his Premier League bow with Fulham in 2001 and stayed at Craven Cottage for four seasons before joining Manchester United in 2005, where he played for a further six seasons in the English top flight.
While at United, Van der Sar’s only Golden Glove award came in season 2008/09. However, the Dutchman was also voted in the Premier League Team of the Year in seasons 2006–07, 2008–09 and 2010–11.
Tim Howard (132 clean sheets in 399 appearances for Manchester United and Everton)
Although the former USA international made his Premier League debut with Manchester United, where he kept 16 clean sheets, Howard collected most of his Premier League clean sheets (116) at Everton, where he spent 11 years.
Howard was voted in the Premier League Team of the Year in season 2003/04, but likely due to the quality of the other goalkeepers in the top flight never won a Golden Gloves award.
Brad Friedel (132 clean sheets in 450 appearances for Liverpool, Blackburn Rovers, Aston Villa and Tottenham)
Friedel matched compatriot Howard in the Premier League clean sheet stakes. The former USA international first arrived in England at Liverpool, where he kept six Premier League clean sheets. However, it was during his eight-year stint at Blackburn Rovers that he picked up the most Premier League clean sheets, 77.
Friedel won the Premier League Golden Gloves award in the season 2002/03. He was also voted in the PFA Premier League Team of the Year in the same season.