How generation of cool keepers silenced trolls

The keyboard warriors of football used to play female goalkeepers as their favorite targets.

Shared on social media would be videos and jokes.

As the bullies retreat and redact, the goalkeepers are now having their last laugh.

“I’m sure you recall the worst position being used by trolls when they would target goalkeepers,” I assure you. That’s not quite the same story as it is now, claims Marc Skinner, the manager of Manchester United.

Women’s soccer has seen a dramatic change in the goalkeeping game.

On the biggest stages, lionesses Mary Earps and Hannah Hampton have made significant contributions to English football.

After taking over from Earps as number one, Hampton, Chelsea’s Hampton, played a crucial role in England’s defense of their European Championship title in Switzerland in July, taking over as number one.

Everton’s Courtney Brosnan and Manchester United’s Phallon Tullis-Joyce, both regarded as the best of a growing group of world-class goalkeepers, join Hampton in the Women’s Super League.

Ellen White, a former England striker, claims that Earps “changed goalkeeping” after almost overnight becoming a household name.

The main characters that have come to life are not just the saves that have caught the eye, but also the ones that have.

Earps sued sportswear company Nike for a lack of women’s goalkeeping shirts in stores, received a waxwork job at Madame Tussauds, founded her own clothing line, and won 2023 BBC Sports Personality of the Year.

At Euro 2025, Hampton assumed the mantle.

When she made a video call during a news conference off the field, she made fun of herself.

She also claimed to have thrown Cata Coll’s water bottle, which had tactical information on it, into the stands during the penalty shootout that gave the final score.

In summary, women’s goalkeepers are now fashionable.

“Young players are now seeing Earps, [Chicago Stars’ Alyssa] Naeher, Brosnan, Hampton, and so on. They are saying, “Wow, look at them,” and they are. Everton goalkeeper Ian McCaldon said, “I can do that.”

McCaldon has since trained female goalkeepers for teams like Washington Spirit, Scotland, and Hibernian. He has previously played for clubs like Oxford United, Livingston, and Ross County.

The 51-year-old recalls how he used to bombard young people with names for goalkeepers and get calls from them. That no longer exists.

“They would all refer to David de Gea and Peter Schmeichel, or whoever the big men’s goalkeepers were,” they said. He claimed that they were not female.

However, more and more women are receiving name checks.

At Everton, McCaldon collaborates with Brosnan, the Republic of Ireland’s top player.

According to McCaldon’s knowledge of the women’s game, a number of factors have contributed to the development of the contemporary goalkeeper.

Goalkeeping coaches have only recently begun to work with female players full-time.

Karen Bardsley, a former England international, felt that doing so while she was in college would benefit her. However, the availability of top-notch coaching specifically for female goalkeepers has changed everything.

There is a larger player pool because the profile of the women’s game is also increasing, McCaldon reported to BBC Sport.

“There are more resources available for female goalkeepers in terms of nutrition, sports science, and strength and conditioning exercises.

You will only improve if you combine it with other holistic practices like yoga or meditation.

“The investment in the women’s game has made it a natural thing.” When I first started, it wasn’t there.

Before making his move to Manchester United, Skinner recruited Hampton for Birmingham City’s academy and would later make her her first-team debut in 2017.

Before American Tullis-Joyce achieved a stellar first-year as the club’s number one, he worked with Earps at United.

The development of female goalkeepers has been influenced by a period of “progressive professionalism,” according to Skinner.

According to Skinner, “the development of sport science has greatly improved the athleticism of female goalkeepers.”

Due to her athletic prowess, “Phallon]Tullis-Joyce” is special. She is extremely quick to maneuver around the goal.

The other skills of goalkeepers are “developing,” “structural knowledge,” and “being able to adapt.”

Earps’ reputation grew as a result of England’s successful bid for the Euro 2022 trophy and the 2023 World Cup championship. She has a strong charisma and is a top-notch goalkeeper. Her popularity on TikTok was boosted by her following.

Hampton’s strength lies in her ability to slam 60-yard passes into defense right away, as she showed in impressive fashion against the Netherlands at the Euros in July.

Taller, more imposing, and more famous figures like Tullis-Joyce and Brosnan are known for dominating the penalty area and stopping shots.

Ann-Katrin Berger, a big-game player from Germany and a former World Cup player, excels in high-pressure situations.

Are these the components of a contemporary female goalkeeper? All attributes are unquestionably priceless.

The athleticism is “one of the most crucial things.” You must have emotional resilience. You must adore playing goalkeeper, McCaldon says.

You must be a gamer who is open-minded and disciplined. The goalkeepers are also progressing faster as the sprinters are. They are becoming more logical.

The modern goalkeeper must possess all of those qualities.

In recent years, scouting and training techniques have changed.

McCaldon claims that he assesses girls’ technical skills and co-ordination when they are tall at age 11 and uses their height as a benchmark.

You must examine their physique, they say. You might even consider the heights of the parents, McCaldon claims.

Because they are more explosive, have more muscle mass, and move more quickly, men can get away with being less technically effective.

I pay more attention to a woman’s footwork, body type, and self-setup than she does to a woman.