Neville Southall
A center-back who had already established himself as one of the finest in the industry during his teens, Neville Southall was obviously one of the top goalkeepers of his time. He earned a legendary status playing for Everton in the 1980s, where he spend the greater part of his playing career and also won the 1985 FWA Footballer of the Year Award. With this award, Neville went into history as one of the only four goalies to lay hands on this coveted accolade
At Everton, he completed 747 appearances and made a series of notable saves between the sticks. Who can forget that close-range save from Spurs’ Mark Falco? In that season, Spurs were also contending for the title, but that save alone was the most important thing that sealed the crown for Everton. Despite this high-stakes save, Neville was never the type that brags about his achievements. In his “The Binman Chronicles” biography, Neville claims he saved Mark’s header because it was played directly to him.
Despite his achievements at club level, Neville struggled to break into his Welsh national team due to stiff competition from Mike England, who was always preferred by Dai Davis, the then manager for Wales. But even so, he always shone whenever he was given a chance.