A few Scandinavian goalkeepers have been fortunate enough to have illustrious careers with silverware or remarkable displays in the Premier League.
Goalkeepers seem to keep being underrated figures in a team, especially on the offensive side. Scandinavian shot-stoppers are no different. Very few of them earned sufficient credits. Unlike in Italy, England, Germany, or the eccentric ones in South America, the men between the sticks on the Nordic side tend to be less popular.
This season, unfortunately, there are no notable Scandinavian goalies in the Premier League. The only name currently listed on the team is Aston Villa’s Robin Olsen. However, the Sweden international is merely Emiliano Martinez’s second fiddle. It is quite unusual compared to the previous decades since the English top flight tends to be the main destination for Nordic shot-stoppers. The most famous one today is Finnish international Lukas Hradecky, who has just brought Bayer Leverkusen a domestic double. Yet he has never signed for Premier League sides.
Here are the top figures between the sticks from Northern Europe who have made their mark in the English top flight. Surprisingly, they are dominated by the Danish.
Kasper Schmeichel (Denmark)
The former Manchester City and OGC Nice goalkeeper is one of the few noteworthy Scandinavian goalkeepers in modern times. Unlike his father, Peter, he does not appear to be destined to play for major clubs. Kasper was the key figure in Leicester City’s triumphant years, as they clinched the Premier League title in 2016, the FA Cup, and the Community Shield in 2021. His top form during his stay at King Power Stadium helped Leicester City tickets in high demand at that time, as it was the first time they competed in the Champions League as well as other continental competitions. Kasper Schmeichel kept 83 clean sheets in 284 Premier League games.
In international fixtures, the current Anderlecht man was instrumental in Denmark’s campaign in the 2018 FIFA World Cup, despite only reaching the round of 16, and in EURO 2020, when they advanced to the semifinal. He kept a clean sheet three times in the former but only once in the latter tournament. It was Denmark’s best result in a major tournament since snatching EURO 1992. His contributions have earned him four Danish Best Player awards: in 2016, 2017, 2019, and 2020.
The 37-year-old goalkeeper is still the mainstay and is seeking redemption in EUR0 2024 next summer. Their last international campaign in the 2022 FIFA World Cup ended in an early exit by only collecting one point. In Germany 2024, Denmark is seeded in Group C alongside Slovakia, Serbia, and England.
Jussi Jaaskelainen (Finland)
He was one of the underrated goalkeepers in the Premier League. Jaaskelainen was the protagonist in Bolton’s success in the 2000s when they were able to qualify for the European competition in 2006. The former Finnish international helped Sam Allerdyce’s men finish in the top ten, precisely on the sixth, eighth, and seventh between 2005–2007. He stayed with Bolton till 2012 when they were relegated.
That was also the year when the former Wigan man switched sides to the newly promoted side at the time, West Ham United. Jaaskelainen was reunited with his former boss, Sam Allardyce, and was instrumental in helping them finish 10th in the 2012/13 campaign. Overall, he kept clean sheets 110 times in 436 games in the English top flight.
Unfortunately, the Mikkeli-born goalie has never made any appearances in any major international tournament. His country, Finland, did not qualify for the EURO or FIFA World Cup during his playing years.
Thomas Sorensen (Denmark)
Another Danish shot-stopper is on the list. Sorensen was the mainstay of the Danish national team in the 2000s and early 2010s. He was the first choice for three Premier League clubs: Sunderland, Aston Villa, and Stoke City, from 1999 to 2012. He helped The Black Cats finish seventh twice in 2000 and 2001, while during his stay with The Villans, Sorensen was also involved in Aston Villa’s positive campaign until they were able to finish sixth in 2004. In 2011, the goalie with 101 international caps helped Stoke City progress to the FA Cup final. He put on an impressive display against Roberto Mancini’s Manchester City at the summit and only lost 1-0.
The former Vejle and Svendborg goalkeeper eventually left England in 2015 to join A-League side Melbourne Victory and delivered the Australian Cup in 2016. He finally hung up his gloves in 2017.
Overall, Sorensen, who appeared in two EURO editions (2000 and 2004) and two FIFA World Cup editions (2002 and 2010), managed to keep clean sheets in 112 matches out of 364 games in the English top tier. One of his most notable performances in a major competition was when Denmark shared spoils in a goalless draw against Italy at the EURO 2004 opener. He was able to deny several crucial chances from Gli Azzurri, who still had world-class forwards such as Francesco Totti, Antonio Cassano, Alessandro Del Piero, and Cristian Vieri in the squad.
Peter Schmeichel (Denmark)
The Great Dane is unquestionably the greatest Scandinavian goalie of all time. He was a serial winner in his prime. Peter won four league titles for Brondby, five Premier League titles, plus three FA Cups, one UEFA Super Cup, one UEFA Champions League for Manchester United, and the long-awaited league title for Sporting Lisbon during his brief spell in Portugal. In the Premier League, he made 129 clean sheets in 310 games. He also thrived in international competitions. Schmeichel’s role was instrumental when Denmark clinched EURO 1992. He was named the best goalkeeper in the tournament after keeping clean sheets in a stalemate against England and in the final while beating Germany 2-0. He also represented his country alongside the Laudrup brothers when they advanced to the quarterfinals of the 1998 FIFA World Cup, their best result on the global stage so far. So far, the former Aston Villa and Manchester City shot-stopper has been awarded Danish Player of the Year and UEFA Best Goalkeeper three times each, plus EPL Best Player in 1996.