Turkey goalkeeper Mert Gunok etched his name into football folklore with an incredible save late on in his side’s Euro 2024 victory against Austria.
Gunok showed superb reflexes to keep out Christoph Baumgartner’s header and preserve Turkey’s lead as they made it through to the quarter-finals.
Lee Dixon on commentary for ITV hailed the save as being like a ‘Gordon Banks replica’.
The save from Gunok has prompted discussion regarding the greatest stops of all time, with his effort certainly deemed worthy of a place in that category, but what is the best piece of goalkeeping ever?
Here, Mail Sport takes a look at some of the greatest saves.
Turkey goalkeeper Mert Grunok made one of the greatest saves ever against Austria
10) Peter Schmeichel – Manchester United v Rapid Vienna, 1996
Peter Schmeichel somehow kept out Rene Wagner’s header in the Champions League in 1996
A legendary name from the world of goalkeeping, Manchester United icon Schmeichel has a catalogue of high quality saves to choose from.
One of his best efforts came against Rapid Vienna in the Champions League in 1996 when he kept out Rene Wagner’s header in spectacular fashion.
To Wagner’s amazement, Schmeichel reacted extremely well to tip the ball away when it looked very difficult for him to reach it.
9) Iker Casillas – Real Madrid v Sevilla, 2009
Casillas’s brilliant save against Sevilla in 2009 drew praise from Gordon Banks
Casillas enjoyed an illustrious career, the vast majority of which was spent at Real Madrid.
In 2009 he made a memorable save against Sevilla, which drew praise from Banks, who said: ‘Casillas’ reflexes are incredible. If he continues to play this well he will become one of the best goalkeepers in the history of the game.
Casillas ran from one side of his goal to the other and managed to keep out Diego Perotti’s effort from close range.
8) Emiliano Martinez – Argentina v France, 2022
Emiliano Martinez’s intervention against France took the World Cup final to penalties
A relatively recent stop that became an instant classic, Emiliano Martinez denied France’s Randal Kolo Muani in the closing stages of the 2022 World Cup final to send the game to penalties, with Argentina triumphing.
Martinez stretched his leg out to stop Kolo Muani from scoring, with the France attacker left devastated.
It was a save that helped to cement Martinez’s status as one of the standout goalkeepers in world football.
7) Gianluigi Buffon – Italy v France, 2006
The 2006 World Cup final is best remembered for Zinedine Zidane’s headbutt on Marco Materazzi which resulted in the France star being sent off.
Earlier in extra-time Zidane had been denied by a fine save from Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon.
Even thought the odds appeared against him, Buffon managed to push Zidane’s header over the crossbar, with Italy later winning on penalties.
Gianluigi Buffon managed to deny Zidane’s header in the 2006 World Cup final
6) Mert Gunok – Turkey v Austria, 2024
Gunok cemented his place in goalkeeping history with his phenomenal save against Austria
The most recent addition to the list of brilliant saves, Gunok’s stop will be one of the endearing memories of Euro 2024.
Autstria’s Alexander Prass sent a cross into the box and Baumgartner directed a header towards goal.
Although it appeared as if he was going to be beaten, Gunok made the save late in the game to help ensure that Turkey prevailed.
5) Jim Montgomery – Sunderland v Leeds, 1973
As Sunderland overcame Leeds in the FA Cup final in 1973, Montgomery made a hugely important contribution to proceedings.
The goalkeeper’s reactions to keep out Trevor Cherry and Peter Lorimer were of such a high standard that it is seen by some as the greatest double save of all time.
Montgomery had little time to react between the two efforts but was still able to keep his composure.
Jim Montgomery made an unbelievable double save against Leeds in the 1973 FA Cup final
4) Jerzy Dudek – Liverpool v AC Milan, 2005
Jerzy Dudek made a double save to deny Andriy Shevchenko in the Champions League final
Dudek is remembered for his heroics in the penalty shootout during the 2005 Champions League final as he kept out spot-kicks from Andrea Pirlo and Andriy Shevchenko to help Liverpool prevail.
However, Dudek also had a crucial part to play in extra-time as he made a wonderful double stop to deny Shevchenko towards the end of the game after Liverpool had somehow come from 3-0 down to be level at 3-3.
Dudek initially stopped a header from Shevchenko and then kept out a shot from the Ukraine star in incredible scenes.
3) David Seaman – Arsenal v Sheffield United, 2003
Arsenal legend David Seaman produced an incredible save against Sheffield United in 2003
Seaman was in the latter stages of his career when Arsenal took on Sheffield United in an FA Cup semi-final at Old Trafford in 2003 but he showed that his reflexes remained very much intact.
Paul Peschisolido looked to have scored for the Blades but Seaman remarkably managed to claw the ball away and stop it from going over the line.
Schmeichel later hailed Seaman’s save as the best stop that he had ever seen.
2) Gregory Coupet – Lyon v Barcelona, 2001
Gregory Coupet produced an unorthodox piece of goalkeeping against Barcelona in 2001
Coupet headed the ball onto his own crossbar and then kept out Rivaldo’s subsequent effort
In one of the most unorthodox acts of goalkeeping you will ever see, Coupet headed the ball onto his own crossbar following a lob towards his own goal from Lyon team-mate Cacapa.
The French goalkeeper then managed to react quickly to keep out a header from Barcelona star Rivaldo.
Coupet reacted extraordinarily well in both instances, but Barcelona still won 2-0 in the Champions League clash.
1) Gordon Banks – England v Brazil, 1970
Gunok’s stop was compared to Gordon Banks’ ‘save of the century’ to deny Pele in 1970
Undoubtedly one of the greatest goalkeepers of all time, Banks was part of the England side that won the 1966 World Cup.
His best individual moment perhaps came four years later as he made what was dubbed ‘the save of the century’ when he thwarted none other than Pele during the group stages of the World Cup in 1970.
Pele looked certain to score with a header but Banks was able to get across and push the effort away in a save that can surely lay claim to being the best ever.
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