Keep a clean sheet on game day with the best goalkeeper gloves

Sign up to our free weekly newsletter for insider tips and product reviews from our shopping expertsSign up for our free IndyBest emailIt takes a very particular type of individual to choose the life of a goalkeeper. To put yourself between the goal and a horde of rabid footballers bearing down on you demands an eccentric, defiant streak that not many possess. What we’re saying is: we salute the goaltending oddballs.Besides the unorthodox character traits of your favourite keeper, there’s another important difference between them and the rest of the footballing world: gloves. We’re not talking about the bobbly excuses your team’s new attacking midfielder sports from October through to April – we’re talking the high-tech, precise smorgasbord of goalie gloves that have given keepers more of a fighting chance since a few banded together in the 1950s and decided they’d quite like to feel their hands the day after a match.Conor O’Keefe, number-one for Swedish Division 1 outfit Piteå IF, is understandably dogmatic about his gloves. ‘It’s probably the most important piece of equipment, so you do need to look after them,’ Conor tells us after a clean sheet against rivals IF Sylvia.”I normally have a little bit of a pre-wash before I use them, where I’ll just rinse them in lukewarm water: not too soaking wet, but just to get some water through the palm, because a lot of gloves use soaps and chemicals when they’re made. I’ll then squeeze them out and hang them up to dry either two days or a day before the game, in a cool, dark place.”After training or games – and it sounds a bit weird – I normally take them in the shower with me. I have a little nail brush – some people think that’s not great, because it might rip the glove, but if you’re gentle with it, you can use it to clean off any dirt from the pitches, or any of the rubber if you’re playing on astro turf, and that helps to maintain the grips of the gloves.”How we testedSo, now you know how the professionals look after their prize assets, what about your next pair? We’ve stretched our palms, been stung by free kicks, and had a few odd showers in order to bring you the best goalie gloves on the market, testing fit, flexibility, hand protection and ball control. Making sure you don’t become known as ‘all the gear and no idea’ in the dressing room is up to you.The best goalkeeper gloves for 2022 are:Best goalkeeper gloves overall – Nike GK mercurial touch elite: £95, Sportsdirect.comBest goalkeeper gloves for control – Adidas predator edge fingersave pro: £110, Adidas.co.ukBest technical goalkeeper gloves – Kaliaaer XLR8AER 22: £50, Kaliaaer.comBest goalkeeper gloves for flexibility – Puma future one grip 1 NC: £79.99, Sportsdirect.comBest budget goalkeeper gloves – Nike GK match: £19.95, Nike.comBest goalkeeper gloves for rigidity – New Balance nforca protecta replica: £25, Prodirectsoccer.comBest retro goalkeeper gloves – Puma king RC: £26, Sportsdirect.comWant to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.Already subscribed? Log in