Liverpool fans were left in disbelief recently when Alisson was overlooked for the shortlist for the Yashin Trophy, the trophy handed out by France Football to their choice of the world’s best goalkeeper.
The Brazilian came second for that particular award last year and won it in 2019, but this time he didn’t even make the 10-man list of nominees (GOAL).
The ESPN FC team were discussing that shortlist when both Shaka Hislop and Mario Melchiot made a case for the 30-year-old to be included among the top three players in his position.
The former West Ham ‘keeper put Alisson second behind Thibaut Courtois, while the ex-Chelsea defender suggested the Liverpool man could well be his number one pick.
The Dutchman said: “Alisson is, for me, a good shout. I will not mind giving him number one. I like Alisson as a goalkeeper, I know he can take his confidence at times a little bit too far but I still like him as a goalkeeper. I might put him a little higher than [second].”
With two former Premier League players (one of them an ex-goalkeeper) placing the Brazilian so highly, it shows the fallacy of the Yashin Trophy panel to not even shortlist him for the award after producing plenty of heroics over the past 12 months.
With a bit of luck, Alisson will have the last laugh by holding aloft major silverware with Liverpool in a few months’ time, exposing the ridiculousness of his 2023 snub (which was also laid bare by an in-depth piece by The Athletic‘s Gregg Evans).
You can see Melchiot’s comments below, via ESPN FC on YouTube: