Robin Roefs among Sunderland’s best goalkeepers of all time in impressive Premier League reveal
Robin Roefs has undoubtedly become one of the most influential signings of the summer for Sunderland.
Roefs has been unbelievable for Sunderland since joining from NEC Nijmegen in the summer transfer window for a fee of £11.5million.
The impressive performances over the first seven matches of the season did not go unnoticed as Roefs nearly won the Premier League Player of the Month award for September, with Erling Haaland eventually claiming the prize.
The way the 22-year-old commands his area in every game suggests that he would be approaching the end of his career, yet that is obviously far from the case.
His authority in defence is vital when Sunderland have to face opposition attacks, but it’s his shot-stopping that has him set to become the club’s greatest goalkeeper in Premier League history.
Robin Roefs only bettered by Vito Mannone in save percentage stat
Aged just 22, Roefs’s rise has been meteoric, and the goalkeeper seems to strike calmness in his defence.
Roefs has saved 77.3 per cent of the shots on target he’s faced in the Premier League this term.
Of goalkeepers with 10+ appearances in a single season in the competition for Sunderland, Vito Mannone in 2013-14 (77.4%) is the only player on record (since 2005-06) with a higher save percentage than the Dutch goalkeeper.
| Stat | Roefs |
| Appearances | 17 |
| Clean sheets | 6 |
| Saves | 59 |
| Save percentage | 77.3% |
| Penalties saved | 1/1 |
Mannone spent four years playing for the Mackems between 2013 and 2017, and Roefs’ reputation among the fans has already passed that.
Antony Patterson’s heroics in the play-off final had fans thinking he would potentially start in the top flight, although Roefs’ arrival and his subsequent form have left Regis Le Bris vindicated.
It is extremely rare to see a young goalkeeper flourishing in the Premier League, yet the Dutch star has adapted to the top flight with relative ease.
How can Roefs make the step up to the next level?
Roefs made a mistake against Aston Villa on 21 September, failing to deal with Matty Cash’s swerving shot from distance.
That has arguably been his only real mistake of note in a Sunderland shirt, and he has hardly put a foot wrong.
His main issue is perhaps his concentration in key moments, although that hasn’t proved itself to be costly just yet.
He has marshalled his defence superbly, and if he maintains consistency for the rest of the season, he could find himself grouped among the best goalkeepers in the league for many years to come.
No Sunderland fan would have thought that at the start of the season.
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