Olivier Giroud stole the show in AC Milan Serie A win over Genoa on Saturday, October 7, 2023. The French striker was used as a goalkeeper after regular goalie Mike Maignan was sent off.
Giroud nailed it perfectly as a goalie on shift, producing stunning saves that secured AC Milan narrow win over Genoa.
There have been a number of football strikers who have been used as goalkeepers over the years, for a variety of reasons. Some of the most notable examples include:
Jamie Vardy (Leicester City): Vardy was used as a goalkeeper in a Premier League match against Arsenal in 2016 after Leicester’s three regular goalkeepers were all unavailable. He made a number of saves to help Leicester secure a 1-1 draw.
Sergio Agüero (Manchester City): Agüero was used as a goalkeeper in a pre-season friendly against Girona in 2019. He kept a clean sheet in the first half of the match, but conceded two goals in the second half.
Zlatan Ibrahimović (Paris Saint-Germain): Ibrahimović was used as a goalkeeper in a Coupe de la Ligue match against Chamois Niortais in 2017. He made a number of saves to help PSG win the match 3-0.
Peter Crouch (Stoke City): Crouch was used as a goalkeeper in a pre-season friendly against Rochdale in 2015. He conceded two goals in the match, but he also made a number of saves.
Asamoah Gyan (Ghana): Gyan was used as a goalkeeper in a 2012 Africa Cup of Nations match against Cape Verde. He made a number of saves to help Ghana win the match 2-0.
These are just a few examples of football strikers who have been used as goalkeepers. It is a relatively rare occurrence, but it can happen in a variety of circumstances, such as when a team has all of their regular goalkeepers unavailable.
It is important to note that strikers are not typically trained as goalkeepers, so they may not be as good at the position as a regular goalkeeper. However, many strikers are good shot-stoppers and have good positioning, which can help them to be effective goalkeepers in a pinch.
