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"Goalkeepers need an element of insanity"- Oliver Kahn
Goalkeepers are the backbone of any team in the world and it's a crime that we often continue to neglect their contribution on the pitch.
The bigger problem is when the mere mortals they are, they make mistakes. It's then when they come under the spotlight, but for very different reasons.
The role of goalkeepers has evolved over the years and ball-playing keepers are the new norm. Their importance remains paramount and that will be the case as long as football exists.in this world.
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On that note, we look at 5 of the best-paid goalkeepers in the world at the moment.
(All figures are taken from HITC)
#5 Joe Hart (West Ham United)
The 30-year-old is the fifth-highest paid goalkeeper in the world and currently plays for West Ham United, on loan from Manchester City. He earns £116,000 a week.
Signed by City from Shrewsbury Town in 2006, Hart had to wait for his chances and had to seek out loan moves to get regular playing time. He became City's first-choice keeper ahead of the 2010-11 season and was crucial to City's facelift.
So far he has made 512 appearances at club level and has been a mainstay for the England national team since 2011, making 75 caps. He won two league titles with City and also won three consecutive Premier League Golden Glove awards.
However, he has suffered a fall from grace over the last couple of years and looks unlikely to wear City colours again. It remains to be seen if he will have any role in England's exploits in the FIFA World Cup this summer as well.
Video: The best of Hart
#4 Gianluigi Buffon (Juventus)
The iconic Italian is regarded by many as the greatest goalkeeper of our generation and rightly so. The trophies he has won, the records he has broken and the sheer passion he has for the beautiful game needs no mention. He currently earns £143,000 a week.
Buffon, at 40 years of age, still continues to perform at the highest level and one wonders how. This season he has kept 14 clean sheets in 27 games and shows no sign of slowing down.
With more than 1000 games under his belt, Buffon is in the twilight of his career and we can expect him to call it a day any time soon.
Video: The legendary Buffon
#3 Gianluigi Donnarumma (AC Milan)
At third place is the man who is tipped to carry on Buffon's legacy, Gianluigi Donnarumma. The AC Milan shot-stopper earns £180,000 a week.
At just 19 years of age, Donnarumma already has played an astonishing 117 times for Milan and has even been capped by Italy 5 times. Despite seeking a move away from the club last summer, he stayed put and has helped AC Milan to keep 20 clean sheets in 45 games this season.
He is seen as the perfect heir to Buffon who is likely to retire soon and all of Italy has high hopes for his future.
Video: Donnarumma in action this season
#2 David de Gea (Manchester United)
The Manchester United's No.1 is the second highest paid goalkeeper in the world and earns £200,00 a week. De Gea has won everyone's heart with his incredibly stunning performances for United over the last three years and is now widely regarded by many as the best goalkeeper in the world.
When Sir Alex Ferguson decided to replace the retiring Edwin Van Der Sar with a slender, lean Spaniard in 2011, there were many questions raised. He had a tough start to life in England as well as he found it hard to adjust to the physicality of the Premier League.
However, through sheer determination and resolve, he has evolved to be their best player and has been producing world-class saves each and every week. He was given the Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year for three years in a row and has also been voted into the PFA Team of the Year in the last three seasons.
This season, he has kept 20 clean sheets in 39 games and is on course to win the Premier League Golden Glove. Manchester United are the only team in Europe not to have conceded more than 2 goals in a match this season, which speaks of De Gea's heroics between the sticks.
Video: The brilliance of De Gea
#1 Manuel Neuer (Bayern Munich)
The highest earning goalkeeper in the world is Bayern Munich's Manuel Neuer who earns £257,000 a week. The German international was viewed as the undisputed no. 1 in the world, until De Gea's emergence initiated debates.
Neuer became this generation's sweeper-keeper because he was so good with his feet and Pep Guardiola, during his time at Bayern, often relied on him to initiate attacks from the back. He was also very quick off his line, allowing Bayern to play a high defensive line.
He even finished third in the 2014 Ballon d'Or rankings which is quite an achievement considering the fact that he is a goalkeeper.
However, he has missed the majority of this season and has made only 4 appearances for the club. And, managed to keep a clean sheet in three of them!
He is back in training and all of Germany will be hoping to be completely fit for the 2018 FIFA World Cup which begins mid-June.
Video: Neuer's 10 best saves
