 Seaman in 2012 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | David Andrew Seaman[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (1963-09-19)19 September 1963 (age 62)[1] | ||
| Place of birth | Rotherham, England | ||
| Height | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)[2][3] | ||
| Position | Goalkeeper | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1981–1982 | Leeds United | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1982–1984 | Peterborough United | 91 | (0) |
| 1984–1986 | Birmingham City | 75 | (0) |
| 1986–1990 | Queens Park Rangers | 141 | (0) |
| 1990–2003 | Arsenal | 405 | (0) |
| 2003–2004 | Manchester City | 19 | (0) |
| Total | 731 | (0) | |
| International career | |||
| 1984–1986 | England U21 | 10 | (0) |
| 1987–1992 | England B | 6 | (0) |
| 1988–2002 | England | 75 | (0) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
David Andrew Seaman (born 19 September 1963) is an English formerfootballer who played as agoalkeeper. In a career lasting from 1981 to 2004, he is best known for his time playing forArsenal. He won 75caps forEngland, and is the country's third-most capped goalkeeper, afterPeter Shilton andJordan Pickford.[4] In 1997, he was awarded theMBE for services to football.
Seaman began his career in theFootball League forPeterborough United,Birmingham City andQueens Park Rangers. The peak of his career was during his period as Arsenal and England goalkeeper in the 1990s and early 2000s. During his time at Arsenal, he won three league championships (1991, 1998, 2002), fourFA Cups (1993, 1998, 2002, 2003), theLeague Cup in 1993 and theEuropean Cup Winners Cup in 1994. During this time he also played for England in the1998 and2002 FIFA World Cups, andEuro 96 andEuro 2000. After leaving Arsenal, he played in thePremier League forManchester City. He retired in 2004 due to a recurring shoulder injury. In June 2012, he was appointed goalkeeping coach ofCombined Counties League clubWembley.
Seaman is considered to be one of the greatest goalkeepers of all time by his compatriots,[5][6][7][8][9][10] as well as one of the best shot-stoppers in Premier League and English football history.[11][12] He placed second in theIFFHS World's Best Goalkeeper of the Year award in 1996, behindAndreas Köpke,[13] while he placed 32nd, alongsideEnrico Albertosi, in the European Keeper of the Century vote, which was organised by the same organisation, the fourth–highest ranked English goalkeeper.[14] In 2013, James McNicholas ofBleacher Report described Seaman as "the greatest goalkeeper in Arsenal's history."[15] In addition to his goalkeeping ability, Seaman was also a highly recognisable figure on the pitch due to his moustache and theponytail hairstyle he wore for part of his career.[16]
Seaman's save fromPaul Peschisolido ofSheffield United in the2002–03 FA Cup semi-final was described in the media as one of the best ever. Notable lows came with two costly errors, both from long-range efforts—conceding alast-minute goal in the1995 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup Final toNayim ofReal Zaragoza, and conceding to aRonaldinho free kick againstBrazil in the2002 FIFA World Cupquarter-final. Seaman isleft-handed, but threw the ball with his right arm and kicked with his right foot.
Seaman was born inRotherham,West Riding of Yorkshire. He attendedKimberworth Comprehensive School.[17] He began his career atLeeds United, the club he supported as a boy. Much to his disappointment, he was not wanted by then-managerEddie Gray, who had been his favourite player. Seaman went to Fourth Division clubPeterborough United for a £4,000 fee in August 1982, where he began to make a name for himself.
Just over two years later, in October 1984,Second DivisionBirmingham City paid £100,000 for Seaman's services. They ended up being promoted at the end of that season, but were relegated again at the end of the following season. Seaman was not to follow them back to the Second Division, as in August 1986, he moved toQueens Park Rangers for £225,000. Playing for a higher profile club on a plastic pitch, he would be called up by theEngland national football team for the first time in November 1988. Whilst at QPR, Seaman was coached byBob Wilson (Arsenal's double-winner in 1971), who was to work with him for more than a decade.
In 1990, long before the currenttransfer window system had come to English football, there was still a transfer deadline a few weeks before the end of the season.Arsenal, who had won the league in 1989, wanted to sign Seaman, but the deal involved Arsenal's keeperJohn Lukic heading the opposite way on loan. Lukic did not want to do this, and the deal broke down and remained unresolved when the deadline passed. As soon as the season ended and clubs were allowed to buy players again, Arsenal managerGeorge Graham came back for Seaman, with £1.3 million (at the time a British record for a goalkeeper)[18] being the agreed fee. Lukic, who was highly popular amongst Arsenal fans, left to rejoin Leeds.
Seaman's time at Arsenal coincided with one of the most successful periods in the club's history. The1990–91 season saw Seaman concede only 18 goals when playing in every match of the 38-game season as Arsenal regained theleague title.
Arsenal won both theFA Cup and theLeague Cup in 1993 and supplemented this a year later with theEuropean Cup Winners' Cup. Arsenal began their victorious League Cup campaign againstMillwall and after two legs the game went to a penalty shootout. Seaman saved three of the four Millwall penalties fromMalcolm Allen,Jon Goodman andColin Cooper to help his side progress.[19]
In 1995, George Graham was sacked, and Arsenal came close to becoming the first club to retain theCup Winners' Cup, with Seaman earning a reputation as apenalty-saving specialist after saving fromSiniša Mihajlović,Vladimir Jugović andAttilio Lombardo in Arsenal's semi-finalshoot-out againstU.C. Sampdoria, all the while playing with two cracked ribs.[20] Arsenal lost in thefinal toReal Zaragoza, at theParc des Princes in Paris, whenNayim scored a goal in the final minute of extra time with a 40-yard lob over Seaman.[21][22]
In August 1996,Arsène Wenger became the new manager of Arsenal. Wenger rated Seaman highly and in1998, Seaman helped the team to thePremier League andFA Cupdouble. In1998–99, Seaman played all 38 league matches, conceding only 17 league goals as Arsenal came within one point of retaining thePremier League and lost in theFA Cup semi-finals toManchester United. The following season Seaman managed to reach the2000 UEFA Cup Final, which Arsenal drew 0–0 withGalatasaray, but lost on penalties.[23][24]
In2002, Seaman won thePremier League and theFA Cup again to complete his second career double, although Arsenal's other goalkeepersStuart Taylor (10 appearances) andRichard Wright (12 appearances) also won championship medals, due mainly to Seaman's absence through injuries. A highlight of this season was when Seaman dramatically saved aGareth Barry penalty as Arsenal won 2–1 atAston Villa.[25]
Despite his international career ending so flatly and accusations his mobility had faded with age, the2002–03 season—Seaman's last at Arsenal—ended on a high note. He began the season with saving aFreddie Kanoute penalty in a draw atUpton Park.[26] In theFA Cup, he made a save againstSheffield United'sPaul Peschisolido in the semi-finals, which former Manchester United goalkeeperPeter Schmeichel, a pundit for theBBC on the day, dubbed "the best save I've ever seen".[27] Arsenal were defending a 1–0 lead, when with less than ten minutes to go, Peschisolido had a header towards an apparently open goal from six yards out with Seaman seemingly stranded at the near post. Seaman leapt sideways and backwards, managing to stretch his right arm behind him and scoop the ball back and away from both his goal and the opposing players ready to pounce on a rebound. The match was Seaman's 1,000th professional career game. Seaman went on tocaptain the team during the2003 FA Cup Final in the absence of injuredPatrick Vieira[28] and keep another clean sheet at theMillennium Stadium as they defeatedSouthampton 1–0.[29] His final act with Arsenal was to lift the FA Cup, which was his ninth major trophy with his team. Seaman played in goal for Arsenal more times than anyone else, and is second afterRay Parlour in the all-timePremier League appearances chart for Arsenal, with 325 to his name. In June 2008 he was voted seventh in the list of 50 Gunners' Greatest Players.[30]
Released by Arsenal, Seaman joined up withKevin Keegan atManchester City in the summer of 2003, but Seaman's career at theCity of Manchester Stadium did not last long. Whilst out of action due to injury, Seaman announced his immediate retirement in January 2004 at the age of 40. His last act at City was to help Keegan select his successor in goal,David James — the man who had ousted him as England's first-choice goalkeeper a little over a year earlier.
In November 2005,Paul Merson andWalsall approached Seaman, and later ex-Wales goalkeeperNeville Southall andChris Woods, to play in anFA Cup game atMerthyr Tydfil as their two first-choice keepers,Joe Murphy andAndy Oakes, were unavailable. Seaman was forced to turn this offer down, as it would have constituted a breach in the terms of his retirement insurance pay-out for his recurring shoulder injury.[31]
Seaman made his England debut in 1988 and appeared for the side in fifteen consecutive years, a national record, since equalled byRio Ferdinand.
Seaman earned his first England cap underBobby Robson in a friendly againstSaudi Arabia in November 1988. Robson selected him as England's third-choice goalkeeper behindPeter Shilton andChris Woods at the1990 FIFA World Cup, but after arriving in Italy he had to pull out of the squad due to injury and was replaced byDave Beasant.
Seaman remained a member of the England squad under new managerGraham Taylor, although he was not selected forEuro 1992 in Sweden. During qualification for the1994 World Cup, Seaman played in the crucial game against theNetherlands, which England lost 2–0;[32] he also played in the final match againstSan Marino, in whichDavide Gualtieri scored after 8.3 seconds before England recovered to win 7–1. England ultimately failed to qualify for the tournament in the United States.
Seaman cemented his place as the undisputed number-one keeper with the arrival ofTerry Venables as manager, and played every minute of every match duringUEFA Euro 1996 on home soil. Seaman saved two spot-kicks in the tournament; the first a penalty in normal play fromScotland'sGary McAllister in a group match, while England were 1–0 up (Paul Gascoigne scored soon after to make it 2–0). Then, after England's quarter-final againstSpain ended scoreless, Seaman savedMiguel Ángel Nadal's kick in the shootout to knock Spain out of the tournament. England eventually were eliminated in the semi-final by Germany on penalties, afterAndreas Köpke saved the penalty taken byGareth Southgate.[33] Seaman was named alongside Golden Boot winnerAlan Shearer and wingerSteve McManaman in theUEFA "Team of the Tournament".[34] Euro 96 sponsorPhilips named him "Player of the Tournament".[citation needed]
Seaman remained the first choice under the management ofGlenn Hoddle for the1998 FIFA World Cup inFrance. Seaman kept two clean sheets in the group stage as England finished second behindRomania.[35][36] In the round of 16 England facedArgentina. Seaman conceded a penalty as the game finished 2–2, before England lost on penalties.[37]Kevin Keegan selected him forUEFA Euro 2000 in Belgium and the Netherlands,[38] where he started against bothPortugal andGermany but sustained an injury in his warm-up exercises for the third game againstRomania and was replaced byNigel Martyn. England lost the match and went out in the first round.
Seaman was part ofSven-Göran Eriksson's2002 FIFA World Cup squad and played every game inSouth Korea and Japan as England reached the quarter-finals, turning back a second-half offensive to shut out arch-rivals Argentina 1–0 in the group stage after English captainDavid Beckham scored a penalty. In the quarter-final againstBrazil, Seaman was caught off his line byRonaldinho's long-range free kick, as England lost 2–1; he blamed himself for the error.[39]
The result led to a debate about whether Seaman should remain England's number one.[40] He remained England's first-choice goalkeeper until aEuro 2004 qualifier in October 2002 againstMacedonia. In this match, he let in a goal directly from a corner kick byArtim Šakiri in a 2–2 draw and brought further press criticism.[41] This was Seaman's last appearance for the England national team, as Eriksson dropped him in favour ofDavid James.
At his peak during the 1990s, Seaman was regarded as one of the best goalkeepers in the world, earning praise from other goalkeepers such asSepp Maier andFrancesco Toldo.[42][43] A tall and well–rounded keeper, with a large frame, he was known for his bravery, quick reflexes, agility, and excellent positional sense, as well as his reliable handling and ability to judge the ball, which allowed him to come out and collect crosses and command his area effectively, earning him the nickname "safe hands" in the media;[49] although he was not particularly flashy in his style of goalkeeping, he was regarded as an efficient and generally reliable goalkeeper, who was known for his cool demeanour, authoritative presence, and calm composure in goal, as well as his leadership and ability to organise his back–line, which inspired a sense of confidence in his teammates.[53] He was also adept at stopping penalties.[54] Seaman is left-handed,[55] but threw the ball with his right arm, and also kicked with his right foot.[56]
Despite his ability in his prime, and his overall longevity, he was also known for being inconsistent and prone to errors on occasion, in particular in his later career, following a series of injuries, and also due to his own advancing age, which ultimately led to his physical decline and a series of less convincing performances;[60] he also frequently struggled to deal with long–range shots throughout his career.[61][5] In 2014, when recounting his famous lobbed goal against Seaman in the 1995 Cup Winners' Cup final, Nayim stated that his attempt was premeditated, as during his time in England, he came to learn that Arsenal usually played with a high defensive line, with Seaman essentially acting as asweeper-keeper due to his tendency to stay off his line.[22] In 2006,The Irish Times described Seaman as a "serial choker," due to several high-profile errors he committed in key matches, in particular at international level, and described him as one of several unreliable keepers that played for England since the end of the "tradition of solid goalkeeping which seemed unbreakable through the era ofBanks,Clemence, Shilton, etc.",[62] a notion with which Sriram Ilango ofBleacher Report concurred in 2009.[63] In 2018,Eurosport noted that: "Since the retirement of Peter Shilton, the position of England's goalkeeper has claimed plenty of casualties. Even the most stable of its occupants, David Seaman, will be remembered for the embarrassment caused when Ronaldinho sent a free-kick floating over his head at the 2002 World Cup."[64] While Seaman possessed a deep goal kick and a long throw, which suited Arsenal's quick counter–attacking style of play under manager Arsène Wenger, he was not particularly adept with the ball at his feet, and his distribution was also not always reliable; as such he preferred to clear the ball away when receiving back-passes, rather than attempting to play it out from the back.[45][12]
Seaman began working on his coaching badge with a view to coaching goalkeepers but decided to pause after learning that he would first need a badge in outfield coaching in which he had no interest.[65] His on-screen presence made him a popular choice for chat shows and televised appearances during his sporting career, and he can occasionally be spotted on British television. Whilst still a player, he acted in a cameo role in aBBC film based around the events ofEngland's successful Euro 1996 tournament, starringRachel Weisz andNeil Morrissey, entitledMy Summer with Des. He also became thespokesman forYorkshire Tea during the early 1990s. He briefly replacedGary Lineker as team captain on the television quizThey Think It's All Over, before producers decided to drop him in favour of former Arsenal teammateIan Wright.
In December 2004, following his retirement from professional football, he became one of the celebrities to take part inStrictly Ice Dancing, an ice dance version ofStrictly Come Dancing, in which celebrities are paired with professional dancers. He joined the show at late notice, replacingPaul Gascoigne. With just eight days to prepare for the show, broadcast onBBC One on 26 December, Seaman and his professional partner Zoia Birmingham managed to win the competition. The other competitors spent a month in training for the show.[66]
In late 2005, he had his trademarkponytail cut off on live television for charity, which ended negotiatory talks with such companies as L'Oréal, who wanted to sponsor his hair as they had withDavid Ginola. He returned to the ice for another ice-dancing series,Dancing on Ice, broadcast onITV. The series started on 14 January 2006, and Seaman ended in fourth place. He has also appeared onAll Star Family Fortunes.
Seaman also hosts a "Safe Hands" charity golf event annually, and has released two football-themedDVDs entitledDavid Seaman's Goalkeeping Nightmares in 2003 andJeepers Keepers in 2004. Seaman has also played in all sixSoccer Aid matches forEngland.[67][68][69]
In June 2012, Seaman joinedCombined Counties League clubWembley as goalkeeping coach for their2012–13 FA Cup campaign, as part of a television documentary following the club's attempt to play atWembley. Former international playersGraeme Le Saux,Ray Parlour,Martin Keown,Claudio Caniggia andBrian McBride joined the playing squad, with former England managerTerry Venables as technical advisor.[70]
In 2019 and 2020, Seaman featured in both seasons ofITV showHarry's Heroes, which featured former football managerHarry Redknapp attempting get a squad of former England international footballers back fit and healthy for a game against Germany legends.[71]
In 2021, he began presenting his own podcast seriesSeaman Says. The series followed England throughoutUEFA Euro 2020, with a second series starting at the beginning of the new season in August.
In October 2022, Seaman and his wifeFrankie Poultney appeared in thesecond series ofThe Masked Dancer as "Pillar and Post". They were unmasked in the fifth episode.
Seaman married his first wife, Sandra, in 1985; the marriage lasted ten years.[72] He met his second wife, Debbie Rodgers, in 1995.[73] They were married atCastle Ashby House inCastle Ashby inNorthamptonshire on 15 July 1998; the couple separated in 2009 and were divorced in 2010.[74] On 7 February 2015, Seaman married his third wifeFrankie Poultney, best known as a professional skater onDancing on Ice.[75] Seaman announced their engagement in December 2013; the pair met in 2008, and had been in a relationship since 2009.[76][77] He has four children: two sons from his first marriage,[72] and a son and daughter from his second marriage.[78][79]
Seaman's autobiography –Safe Hands – was released in 2000, published by Orion.[73]
| Club | Season | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Europe | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Leeds United | 1981–82 | First Division | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | ||
| Peterborough United | 1982–83 | Fourth Division | 38 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | — | 3[a] | 0 | 49 | 0 | |
| 1983–84 | Fourth Division | 45 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 50 | 0 | ||
| 1984–85 | Fourth Division | 8 | 0 | — | 2 | 0 | — | — | 10 | 0 | ||||
| Total | 91 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 10 | 0 | — | 3 | 0 | 109 | 0 | |||
| Birmingham City | 1984–85 | Second Division | 33 | 0 | 4 | 0 | — | — | — | 37 | 0 | |||
| 1985–86 | First Division | 42 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | — | — | 47 | 0 | |||
| Total | 75 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 0 | — | — | 84 | 0 | ||||
| Queens Park Rangers | 1986–87 | First Division | 41 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | — | 48 | 0 | ||
| 1987–88 | First Division | 32 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 36 | 0 | ||
| 1988–89 | First Division | 35 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 0 | — | 4[b] | 0 | 46 | 0 | ||
| 1989–90 | First Division | 33 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | — | 45 | 0 | |||
| Total | 141 | 0 | 17 | 0 | 13 | 0 | — | 4 | 0 | 175 | 0 | |||
| Arsenal | 1990–91 | First Division | 38 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 4 | 0 | — | — | 50 | 0 | ||
| 1991–92 | First Division | 42 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 4[c] | 0 | 1[d] | 0 | 51 | 0 | |
| 1992–93 | Premier League | 39 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 9 | 0 | — | — | 56 | 0 | |||
| 1993–94 | Premier League | 39 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 9[e] | 0 | 1[d] | 0 | 57 | 0 | |
| 1994–95 | Premier League | 31 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 9[e] | 0 | 2[f] | 0 | 50 | 0 | |
| 1995–96 | Premier League | 38 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 0 | — | — | 47 | 0 | |||
| 1996–97 | Premier League | 22 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2[g] | 0 | — | 28 | 0 | ||
| 1997–98 | Premier League | 31 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2[g] | 0 | — | 38 | 0 | ||
| 1998–99 | Premier League | 32 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6[h] | 0 | 1[d] | 0 | 44 | 0 | |
| 1999–2000 | Premier League | 24 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 9[i] | 0 | 0 | 0 | 36 | 0 | |
| 2000–01 | Premier League | 24 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10[h] | 0 | — | 39 | 0 | ||
| 2001–02 | Premier League | 17 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7[h] | 0 | — | 25 | 0 | ||
| 2002–03 | Premier League | 28 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9[h] | 0 | 1[d] | 0 | 43 | 0 | |
| Total | 405 | 0 | 48 | 0 | 38 | 0 | 67 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 564 | 0 | ||
| Manchester City | 2003–04 | Premier League | 19 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5[g] | 0 | — | 26 | 0 | |
| Career total | 731 | 0 | 76 | 0 | 66 | 0 | 72 | 0 | 13 | 0 | 958 | 0 | ||
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| England | 1988 | 1 | 0 |
| 1989 | 1 | 0 | |
| 1990 | 1 | 0 | |
| 1991 | 4 | 0 | |
| 1992 | 2 | 0 | |
| 1993 | 3 | 0 | |
| 1994 | 4 | 0 | |
| 1995 | 5 | 0 | |
| 1996 | 11 | 0 | |
| 1997 | 6 | 0 | |
| 1998 | 9 | 0 | |
| 1999 | 8 | 0 | |
| 2000 | 7 | 0 | |
| 2001 | 5 | 0 | |
| 2002 | 8 | 0 | |
| Total | 75 | 0 | |
Arsenal
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