Sunderland have been blessed with some great goalkeepers over the time I have watched the Lads, and that's quite a long time indeed. Now we seem to have yet another quality one, and one that has come through the fabled Academy of Light system which has produced first team graduates such as Lynden Gooch, Elliot Embleton and Daniel Neil in recent times. In this article, we profile some of the goalkeepers that have served the Lads with distinction including the current number one who seemingly is heading for the top.
JIMMY MONTGOMERY
It would be criminal not to begin this article's list nor to leave out a certain Jimmy Montgomery. For those who have never heard of Monty, just watch the 1973 FA Cup Final and see one of the greatest goalkeeping performances the beautiful game has ever had. The double save from Peter Lorimer and Trevor Cherry is just the stuff of legend and will forever be etched in our red and white hearts. Overall, Jimmy played 627 times for the Lads which is a club record and that is one that probably never be surpassed. What some people don't realise is that he was also the unused substitute goalkeeper for Nottingham Forest when they won their second European Cup in 1980!
CHRIS TURNER
Signed from Sheffield Wednesday for £80,000 in July 1979, Chris Turner initially had to tussle with Barry Siddall for the number one shirt after Monty had left to join Birmingham City. In seven seasons, Turner made 224 appearances for the Lads before being signed by Ron Atkinson for Manchester United in 1985. He served hometown club Sheffield Wednesday for a second term, being in between the sticks for the Owls in their 1991 League Cup Final win over the Red Devils ironically, before concluding his playing career at Leyton Orient. Post playing, Chris managed Leyton Orient, Wednesday, Stockport County and Hartlepool United (twice) as well as off-pitch roles at Chesterfield and Port Vale. Interestingly, he was also Sunderland's first ever goalkeeper to come on as a sub in a competitive game - a prearranged takeover from Siddall in Turner's debut in an Anglo-Scottish Cup game v Oldham!
TONY NORMAN
The late 80s saw the Lads sign Tony Norman from Hull City for what was a then club record transfer fee paid out, reported to be around the £400,000 mark (with Iain Hesford and Billy Whitehurst going the other way). Norman had started his career at Burnley but failed to make an appearance for the Clarets before the move to East Yorkshire. A Wales internationalist, he only made 5 appearances for his country due to a certain Neville Southall, spent seven seasons on Wearside before winding his career down at Huddersfield Town where he was reunited with his former Hull City manager Brian Horton. Since hanging up the gloves, Norman has held goalkeeping coach roles with the Lads, Darlington and Gateshead. He also apparently served time in the police force. Norman made very few mistakes in goal, so it was slightly harsh when a fanzine was named 'It's an easy one for Norman' after he dropped a last-minute cross in the FA Cup against Sheff Wed...
THOMAS SØRENSEN
Thomas Sørensen spent five seasons on Wearside and was the usual man we found guarding the goal during the Peter Reid heroes. He was a relative unknown to anyone outside his native Denmark but Reid had been alerted to him by a certain Peter Schmeichel who wasn't a bad keeper in his own right. In those seasons on Wearside, the Great Dane made 197 appearances for the Lads and was a First Division title winner in his first season with us. He gained more cult hero status in November 2000 when he saved an Alan Shearer penalty to secure a 2-1 win for the Lads. Since leaving the Lads, he joined Aston Villa and Stoke City before a move to Melbourne City in 2015. He is now an Australian citizen where he works as a football pundit. Sorensen won 101 caps for his country.
JORDAN PICKFORD
The Washington born stopper only made 35 appearances for the Lads but in that short term, he did enough to become the most expensive transfer fee here in the UK for a goalkeeper. Everton paid £30 million (inclusive of add-ons) for the custodian who was only 23 at the time but already tipped for international recognition. Since then, he has made 241 appearances for the Toffees and become the first choice for England under Gareth Southgate with 55 caps to his name, as well as one of the main reasons Everton keep surviving relegation by the skin of their teeth. When he made his debut for the Lads in 2016, Pickford achieved a remarkable stat that few have matched - that being that he had appeared in each of the top five divisions of English football.
ANTHONY PATTERSON
Now onto the current number one who is developing at a rate similar to the aforementioned Pickford. Just like Pickford, the North Shields-born keeper had a spell in non-league before establishing himself as the Lads' number one. Like Pickford again, it was someone's else misfortune that gave him a chance to prove his worth. His performances in the second half of the 2021-22 season did more than enough for the Lads to release Lee Burge and not decide to sign Ron-Thorben Hoffmann on a permanent deal from Bayern Munich. "Pogo" (as I refer to him after the Grange Hill character) has established himself as the Lads' number one and has been tipped to succeed Pickford at national level by many Sunderland fans. Expect him to have a big future.
