Alisson names the 9 things that "make a difference" as Liverpool goalkeeper

As one of the best ‘keepers in Liverpool’s history, Alisson‘s words on goalkeeping carry plenty of weight, and he has now named nine attributes that make a top No. 1.

Widely considered among the greatest-ever, if not the best goalkeeper to play for Liverpool, Alisson has featured 302 times and won club football’s biggest prizes at Anfield.

What makes him stand out from the rest isn’t fingertip saves or dramatic leaps for the ball; it is the efficiency with which he works.

“For me, what I see as a goalkeeper, to be at the top level you need to have good positioning, first of all,” he said in the match programme for Liverpool’s 1-0 win over Arsenal.

This is key to Alisson‘s game, as his incredible reading of the game allows him to make otherwise difficult shots look easy to save.

The Brazilian continued: “You need to have speed, you need to have agility and to play in the Premier League, you need to be strong as well and good on set-pieces and good on timings.

“To be a Liverpool FC goalkeeper, you have to be good at sweeping up some balls as well, working outside the box and also playing with your feet.

“So I think all of these attributes have the same importance for being a top goalkeeper for Liverpool FC. And I always try to improve myself in all aspects, to cover all the gaps, because I know the opposition I face here.”

At the time of signing in 2018, the £66.8 million Liverpool paid Roma for Alisson was a record fee for a goalkeeper – Chelsea broke this soon after by paying £71m for Kepa Arrizabalaga.

Along with Virgil van Dijk, he proved transformative for a Liverpool team that hadn’t been defensively solid since Rafa Benitez’s exit.

His tally of 126 clean sheets in 302 appearances has also been complemented, quite stunningly, by a goal and three assists.

All three of those came for Mo Salah to finish, and Alisson has built a close relationship with his Egyptian teammate.

“The connection me and Mo have is from the years we’ve spent together,” Liverpool’s goalkeeper explained.

“I know his qualities, he knows my qualities to play the ball behind the line when we have the space to do that.

“So, he just does what he does the best, and that is running towards the goal, and I have to do my best to kick the ball and put him in a good position so he can control it and do what he also does the best – scoring goals.

“It’s something that we really enjoy doing, so when that happens I think you can see from the celebrations that it’s something that we enjoy a lot, because that is part of the fun part of football as well, joy.”

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