Rob Green’s finger after long football career shows goalkeepers deserve more respect

You don’t have to be mad to be a goalkeeper, but it certainly helps.

As well as having the curious desire of wanting to stop goals, rather than scoring them, ‘keepers must possess incredibly thick skin, plenty of self-confidence and, perhaps most importantly of all, a high pain threshold.

Arguably the most physical position on the pitch, goalkeepers throw themselves around for 90 minutes, regularly get clattered by opponents at set-pieces and will always try to win the ball even if it means taking a whack in the process.

After a long career in football, a goalkeeper’s body is never the same as when they first started out – especially their hands.

BT Sport have produced a documentary to be broadcast later this month which turns the spotlight on goalkeepers, celebrating “the unique and often misunderstood world” of these fascinating individuals.

And a clip from the upcoming documentary shows various ‘keepers showing off their post-career hands.

David James is one of them. The former England international says: “There is so much to enjoy about being a goalkeeper, but there is so much pain.”

Rachel Brown-Finnis, who also represented England on 82 occasions, pointed out that her wedding ring had to be made bigger than her 19-stone, 6ft 7in husband’s.

Paul Robinson, another ex-England international, has a very dodgy middle finger on his right hand.

And there aren’t many fingers that Neville Southall, the former Wales international, hasn’t either dislocated or had stitches in.

However, Rob Green (yet another ex-England ‘keeper) surely takes the prize for the most shocking finger on show.

The documentary’s host, Richie Driss, even struggled to look at it.

(Image credits: BT Sport)

Watch the clip in full here:

"There's so much to