For many, Nice-born
French goalkeeper Hugo Lloris is among the best in the world. While a
touch wild and erratic at times, the 94-cap France keeper has been a
hugely consistent presence across his career. From his early days
with hometown club OGC Nice to making the move to Lyon in 2008, he’s
been building a career that many keepers would struggle to rival.
At Lyon, he was a
key part in achieving continued success at the club, albeit arriving
at the tail end of the clubs success in the French domestic scene.
His performances for France and in the UEFA Champions League, where
he reached the semi-finals with Lyon, soon seen him reach a stage
where he’d outgrown Ligue I.
Surprisingly, it was
Tottenham Hotspur of London that managed to capture his signature.
Despite major links with European giants at the time such as
Barcelona and Milan, he made the move to London and, for six years,
has been one of the most consistent keepers in the Premier League.
Among his numerous
strengths is his outstanding agility. He’s a fantastic keeper; very
good at making unstoppable shots look routine. While he might be a
little weak at dealing with crosses and perhaps finds himself in
unfortunate outfield positions due to his rash nature, Lloris is a
tremendous keeper.
He’s often found
coming off his line, and is a major proponent of the ‘sweeper
keeper’ which has become so prominent in the modern game. His
ability to deal with everything from close-in shots to handling long
range piledrivers that seemed destined for the nut makes Lloris one
of European football’ elite keepers.
While some might say
his rashness holds him back from reaching the true elite, he’s a
keeper that will be fondly remembered by each club he’s played for.
