Unlike the majority of contact sports, football will never turn into the land of the giants. After all, some of the greatest players of all time have relied on their low centre of gravity to leave taller defenders in their wake. It’s sufficient to mention Diego Maradona and Lionel Messi.
Nevertheless, goalkeepers are a different breed. If outfield players can survive with a smaller stature, every centimeter counts for the men between the posts, as it could be the difference between a making a crucial save or conceding a goal.
Even though a tall height isn’t the only characteristic that defines a shot-stopper (as some managed to succeed without it), it certainly is an important aspect to consider.
So who are the tallest Premier League goalkeepers of all-time? And who are the tallest amongst the current active shot-stoppers in England’s top tier?
Let’s find out.
Tallest Premier League Goalkeepers Ever [Top 5]
Even though goalkeepers are far from being the highest earners in football, they certainly are the tallest on average.
In the table below, we’ll take a look at the five tallest Premier League goalkeepers ever. In order to be eligible for selection, the player must have at least one EPL appearance to his name.
Ranking | Goalkeeper | Nationality | Clubs | EPL Appearances | EPL Clean Sheets | Height |
1 | Costel Pantilimon | Romanian | Manchester City, Sunderland, Watford | 54 | 18 | 203 cm |
2 | Ian Feuer | American | West Ham United, Derby County | 6 | 1 | 201 cm |
= | Stefan Postma | Dutch | Aston Villa | 11 | 3 | 201 cm |
= | Fraser Forster | English | Southampton | 122 | 40 | 201 cm |
5 | Thibaut Courtois | Belgian | Chelsea | 126 | 49 | 200 cm |
Costel Pantilimon – 203 cm – Manchester City, Sunderland Watford
Costel Pantilimon is the tallest goalkeeper to ever set foot on a Premier League pitch. The Romanian giant stands at 203 centimetres tall.
He first landed on the English shores via Manchester City in 2011, but he mostly acted as a backup for Joe Hart. He then joined Sunderland where he was able to find regular playing time, before rounding up his EPL experience with a short stint at Watford.
Ian Feuer – 201 cm – West Ham United, Derby County
Ian Feuer is the joined second tallest Premier league goalkeeper of all time. The well-travelled American played for a host of club in England, but was only able to make five EPL appearances between West Ham United and Derby County.
After hanging his gloves in 2002, Feuer started a career in coaching, following the footsteps of other ex-goalkeepers.
Stefan Postma – 201 cm – Aston Villa
At 201 centimetres, Stefan Postma is the joint second-tallest shot-stopper in EPL history. During his time in England, the Dutchman played for Wolves, but it was Aston Villa who gave him the chance to feature in the country’s top tier.
Fraser Forster – 201 cm – Southampton
Alongside Feuer and Postma, Fraser Forster is the joint second on the list of tallest Premier League goalkeepers of all time. The Southampton shot-stopper is the lone local player on the Top 5 list.
Thibaut Courtois – 200 cm – Chelsea
Prior to joining Real Madrid in 2018, Thibaut Courtois was one of the tallest goalkeepers in the Premier League. At 200 cm, the former Chelsea lands fifth on the all-time list.
Current Tallest Premier League Goalkeepers [Top 5]
In this section, we’ll find out who are the current tallest goalkeepers in the Premier League.
Ranking | Goalkeeper | Nationality | Current Club | Height |
1 | Kjell Scherpen | Dutch | Brighton & Hove Albion | 204 cm |
2 | Fraser Forster | English | Southampton | 201 cm |
3 | Asmir Begovic | Bosnian | Everton | 199 cm |
4 | Nick Pope | English | Burnley | 198 cm |
5 | Wayne Hennessey | English | Burnley | 197 cm |
= | Illan Meslier | French | Leeds United | 197 cm |
= | Robert Sanchez | Spanish | Brighton & Hove Albion | 197 cm |
After joining Brighton in the summer of 2021, Kjell Scherpen was set to become the tallest goalkeeper in Premier League history. However, the young Dutchman is yet to feature in an EPL contest, which is why we didn’t add him to the all-time list.
He did however make an appearance for Brighton’s first team in the FA Cup, before joining Belgian side Oostende in January 2022 on loan until the end of the season. Therefore, we must await the 2022/23 campaign to find out whether the giant from the Netherlands will appear in a Premier League encounter and break the all-time record in the process.