5 world-class outfield players who were forced to play as goalkeepers

#3 Rio Ferdinand

Rio Ferdinand gave a good attempt to save the penalty

Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand also took up the gloves, however, he could not help produce a favorable outcome. Ferdinand had a dominant partnership alongside Nemanja Vidic at the club and the duo have won many games and trophies together.

He might be an expert defender, but his goalkeeping skills are nowhere near it. Manchester United were facing Portsmouth in an FA Cup fixture back in 2008. They had lost Edwin van der Sar due to an injury and his replacement, Tomasz Kuszczak, was sent off in the 76th minute.

They conceded a penalty and Ferdinand was given the responsibility to save it. Although he tried very hard, he could not stop the shot, and it was the decisive goal as United were knocked out of the competition.

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#2 John Terry

John Terry made some good saves to hand Chelsea a crucial win

Another prolific name to go between the sticks was John Terry. The Chelsea captain had an enormous career at Stamford Bridge and enjoyed a successful 20-year stint with the Blues.

In 2006, the year they won back-to-back Premier League titles, they faced a rather compelling fixture. Chelsea lost Petr Cech in the first minute of the match against Reading due to a head injury. Substitute goalkeeper Carlo Cudicini was also injured after a nasty collision and Jose Mourinho was out of substitutions.

Terry took the responsibility and did a very good job. He made some important saves and Chelsea secured a crucial win.

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#1 Dani Alves

Dani Alves took the goalkeeping responsibility for 30 seconds

The 38-year-old veteran is the most decorated player in the world with 43 titles to his name. His spells with Barcelona, Juventus and PSG helped him achieve the feat. Alves was a free agent after his contract with Sao Paulo ended on a rough note in September 2021.

However, he made a surprising return to his former club, Barcelona, earlier this month under the new management of Xavi. Although he has joined them, he will not be able to make his appearance until January.

The Brazilian has also made an appearance as a goalkeeper in his career. The opportunity came when he played for PSG. Kevin Trapp was sent off in the 90th minute of the match against Sochaux. Having used all the substitutes, Unai Emery was left with no other option than to field an outfield player.

Thomas Meunier was originally meant to take the spot, but the miscommunication between the manager and the players saw Alves take up the role. Notably, it lasted for only about a few seconds as the game drew to a close soon after.