The Best Goalkeeper in this years Champions League so far: Simon Mignolet

Simon Mignolet is the best goalkeeper in this season’s Champions League. Yes, you read that right. Anyone watching him plummet during his time at Liverpool would have thought the Belgian’s career would have withered and died by now, but instead, the 34-year-old is enjoying a career renaissance.

The statistics and performances Mignolet has posted up this year have been nothing shy of remarkable. His meteoric rise through the footballing ranks seemed to diminish during his patchy tenure at Liverpool, but the resurgent Belgian is back on top of his game.  

Mignolet has proved a key figure in Club Brugge’s implausible Champions League campaign this season. In a group that includes Atletico Madrid, Porto and Bayer Leverkusen, Club Brugge are perched at the summit of Group B, undefeated and with four clean sheets. With two games remaining, the Belgian club have for the first timein their history secured passage into the knockout stage.

Brugge’s defense has proved formidable, but it is Mignolet who deserves the majority of the plaudits, with 22 saves in the group stage so far. Nine of these came against Atletico Madrid, in a game where the Belgian delivered a man of the match performance for the ten men of Brugge. His save to deny Alvaro Morata in stoppage time is worth a quick glance on YouTube.

Porto and Leverkusen also had no answer for the buoyant Belgian and many in the footballing world are wondering where these performances have come from. We analyse where it all started for Mignolet and where it all went wrong before his recent road to redemption with Brugge.

Mignolet started his playing career in the Belgian second division at minnows Sint-Truiden, having progressed through their youth system and becoming first-choice goalkeeper at the age of just 18. In 2009, he made 29 appearances as he helped Sint-Truiden win the Belgian Second Division and was voted Belgian Goalkeeper of the Year the following season after he was pivotal in his side avoiding relegation. Sunderland took notice of his brisk rise and in 2010 signed him for £2 million.

Mignolet proved to be a revelation. Having initially struggled to break into the starting eleven 2011 due to sproadic starts and a badly broken nose, Mignolet was eventually made first-choice goalkeeper ahead of Scotsman Craig Gordon. He played every game in the 2011/12 season, delivering several man of the match performances and establishing himself amidst the hostility of the Premier League. Joe Hart even labelled him as the best goalkeeper in the league that year.  

The Belgians nationwide prominence as a formidable keeper persuaded Liverpool to snap up his services in 2013 for a fee of £9 million. His debut was the stuff of dreams.

With the game poised at 1-0 to Liverpool at home to Stoke, the visitors snatched a penalty in the 89th minute. Jonathan Walters stepped up and was denied by Mignolet before Kenwyne Jones’ rebound was also tipped over in stunning fashion.

This was followed up over the next two months by two clean sheets against Aston Villa and Manchester United and then two man of the match performances against Swansea and Everton. Keep in mind, Mignolet enjoyed argubably his best season in a Liverpool team that scored and leaked goals every matchday. Their defence was a mess that season and the team was spearheaded to 2nd place courtesy of a famed frontline led by Luis Suarez.

He became a fan favourite amongst the Kop faithful. Liverpool and Brendan Rodgers certainly felt they had unearthed a gem. 

Mignolet’s initial promise was soon plagued with a consistent string of howlers and costly errors. He was replaced by Brad Jones at the start of the 2014/15 season as a result of a catastrophic start to the season.

 Spells in and out of the side were curiously awarded with a new five-year contract the following campaign. Mignolet was always a renowned shot-stopper, but he was not equipped with the attributes needed to start for a club with high ambitions such as Liverpool.

The new contract backfired for Liverpool and Mignolet arguably got worse. The 2016 League Cup final against Manchester City, truly signalled the turning point for fans and their relationship with the Belgian. His infamous spill from Fernandinho’s tame still lives rent free inside the heads of most Liverpool fans.

His days at the club were then numbered during the Klopp era, with the German pinpointing the goalkeeping spot as a priority. 

In 2019, Mignolet left Liverpool with a reputation of unreliability. He was pigeonholed as a keeper who was this amazing shot-stopper but could cost you a goal from nothing.

With less pressure and a lifetime of experience in competing and being heavily criticised, Mignolet has flourished in his older years and is now the fortress by which Club Brugge have centred their European charge around.

Interestingly, this story is not yet over. Mignolet is currently on course for the record number of clean sheets in the Champions League with four in four. Former Real Madrid keeper Keylor Navas holds the current record with nine. More importantly, his side are looking to relish their first appearance in the Champions League knockout stage and add to what is already a compelling tale.