Featured Image Credit: Getty
Topics: Premier League, Sheffield United, Arsenal, Everton, Neil Warnock, Football
Ryan Smart
Topics: Premier League, Sheffield United, Arsenal, Everton, Neil Warnock, Football
A former England defender once trained weekly as a goalkeeper while he was playing in the Premier League.
Nowadays, it is almost unheard of for a Premier League club not to have at least three goalkeepers in their squad, with many signing home-grown goalkeepers just to be involved as a number three.
Back in the 2006/07 season, Sheffield United had four senior goalkeepers on their books, with Paddy Kenny assigned as the club's number one.
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They also had experience in the form of Ian Bennett and Paul Gerrard, with youngster Jamie Annerson also available if needed.
But there were occasions when none of them were named on the bench by manager Neil Warnock.
Instead, Warnock would simply not pick a substitute goalkeeper - assigning the backup role to star defender Phil Jagielka.
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In December 2006, Kenny suffered an injury during a Premier League fixture against Arsenal at Bramall Lane with half an hour to play.
Jagielka subsequently took the gloves and played in goal, pulling off several impressive saves and keeping a clean sheet.
He was also confident in the air, coming off his line to claim several crosses.
The remarkable part of the story was that Jagielka was one of the Premier League's top defenders at the time, and was linked with moves to several top clubs.
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He subsequently joined Everton after the Blades' relegation in 2007.
The reason why Warnock trusted him as a backup goalkeeper was because he recognised Jagielka's versatility - he could also play in defensive midfield - and it allowed him to make an attacking change instead of putting a goalkeeper on in such a rare situation required.
As it turned out, his methods worked against Arsenal, with the Blades pulling off a 1-0 victory.
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Former Blades defender Greg Halford revealed in 2023 that Warnock would tell Jagielka, who collected 40 caps for England, to train once a week with the other goalkeepers.
Halford himself was then assigned the backup role after the centre-back departed in the summer of 2007.
He told the Undr the Cosh podcast: "I think Neil Warnock was the first manager to do it. He wouldn't put a sub keeper on the bench - he'd just have five outfield players.
"Before me it was Jagielka. He'd train one day a week with the goalkeepers, and be a sub keeper while he was playing.
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"Then, after Jags left, it was me!"