Simon Mignolet has been hailed as one of the best goalkeepers in the world, three years after leaving Liverpool.
That particularly bold claim comes from the general manager of his current team, Club Brugge. Speaking to Belgian outlet VTM via the Liverpool Echo, Vincent Mannaert said Mignolet is one of the top five ‘keepers on the planet.
“What Simon Mignolet showed today, again, keeping a clean sheet for the fourth time [in this year’s Champions League], that’s fantastic. At the moment, Mignolet is one of the best goalkeepers in the world,” said Mannaert. We could count on a world-class goalkeeper.”
“Belgium have Thibaut Courtois and Simon Mignolet, who are among the top five goalkeepers on the planet. What he has shown in the first four games, it’s great. With his performances and his attitude, he gives confidence to the young players.
“He’s more than an excellent goalkeeper. He’s someone who is capable of raising the level of the group. For me, there is no discussion [that he deserves to win Belgium’s Golden Shoe award, given to the very best player in the country].”
Mignolet leads Brugge into last 16
This is quite the claim from Mannaert. For Liverpool fans, we apologise if you’ve spat your morning coffee all over the screen. No disrespect to Mignolet, he was a good servant to Liverpool, but this is utterly ludicrous.
To give the 34-year-old his dues, it is impressive to keep four clean sheets in a row at any stage of the Champions League. To do it against sides as established in the competition as Atletico Madrid, Porto and Bayer Leverkusen makes it all the more noteworthy.
But not a top goalkeeper does it make. Certainly, the Belgian will have to do a whole lot more than that to get near the likes of Courtois and his replacement at Liverpool Alisson Becker.
You only have to see the huge difference in Liverpool’s fortunes since Alisson came in to see what Mignolet is lacking.
It’s hard to envisage the Reds hitting the heights they have since the Brazilian took over with Mignolet between the sticks.
Still, it’s nice to see him doing so well three years on from his Liverpool exit. By all accounts he was a superb presence around the dressing room whilst acting as the club’s No.2 and he’s obviously a top professional.
With Brugge already advancing to the knockout stages for the first time in their history, perhaps a reunion at Anfield could be on the cards.
If the Belgian Champions are to go further into the competition, Mignolet will obviously be key. But ‘world-class’? We’re not so sure about that.
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