Exclusive: Don Goodman reveals the best EFL Championship goalkeepers of all time | OneFootball

Sky Sports pundit Don Goodman has spoken to Football League World about who he feels are the premier second-tier shot-stoppers

Several incredible goalkeepers have graced the Championship over the years and, therefore, picking out just a couple as stand-outs is a truly difficult task.

A lot of factors can come into play when deciding this, as certain shot-stoppers have enjoyed long, successful careers which took place solely in the second tier, like Lee Camp or Julian Speroni.

However, others may have begun their careers in the Championship, or were loaned down there as a youngster, before going on to bigger and better things.

In an exclusive interview with Football League World, we asked current EFL pundit Don Goodman to list who he feels are the two greatest Championship goalkeepers of all time.

Don Goodman reveals who he thinks are the greatest Championship goalkeepers

Don Goodman acknowledged the difficulty of this task before initially outlining James Trafford due to his contributions to Burnley's record-setting defence under Scott Parker last season.

"There have been some really good goalkeepers in the Championship over the years," he told Football League World.

"James Trafford needs a massive mention for what he achieved last season with Burnley.

"He kept 30 clean sheets, which is incredible. Then you have to look at keepers in the Championship and what they have gone on to achieve."

Indeed, Goodman has chosen to highlight two goalkeepers who have succeeded at the very top of the English game and have gone on to play in Europe after their time in the second tier.

Although that's not to say that either of the two mentions wasn't incredible to watch in the Championship, either.

"You have to say Kasper Schmeichel," he said. "He won the league with Leicester and picked up an incredible number of caps for Denmark.

"And you have to look at David Raya, who is a top, top Premier League goalkeeper, he's playing in the Champions League, and he's having a brilliant career."

Kasper Schmeichel and David Raya are two apt picks for the Championship's greatest goalkeepers

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There can't be many arguments against Don Goodman's choices, as both Kasper Schmeichel and David Raya were not only incredible at Championship level for a good amount of time, but then went on to hit the heights that many dream of.

With Schmeichel, he did so with the side he spent the majority of his Championship career with, Leicester City. After a sole year as Leeds United's number one, he spent three second-tier seasons with the Foxes, reaching the play-offs with them in the 2012/13 season, and then winning the title the year after.

Two years later, the Dane won the Premier League as part of Claudio Ranieri's famous Foxes side, and has played in Europe and won FA Cups with Leicester, too.

As for Raya, his Championship career started at Blackburn Rovers before he made the switch to Brentford. Like Schmeichel, he was part of an unsuccessful play-off run in 2019/20, before making the step-up the year after, also through the play-offs.

After a couple of successful years helping Brentford establish themselves in the top flight, he now plays in goal for one of the best defensive sides in the world at Arsenal, and is the reigning two-time Premier League Golden Glove winner.

These two made their names in the Championship, but their performances since departing the second tier have bolstered that name to European level, and they're two apt candidates for the greatest second-tier goalkeepers of all time.