ISL 2020-21: Golden Glove winners of ISL till date
The ISL Golden Glove is awarded to the player who keeps the most clean sheets in a single season. In the first two seasons, foreign players won the award while Indian players have bagged the award in the last four seasons. Bengaluru FC's Gurpreet Singh Sandhu is the only player to have won the award twice.
With the seventh edition of the Indian Super League (ISL) underway, here we take a look at the Golden Glove winners from the seasons gone by.
2014: Jan Seda (FC Goa, 6 clean sheets)
The Czech Republic born Jan Seda won the Golden Glove award with six clean sheets in 14 games in the inaugural edition of the ISL.
He is the second-best amongst all the goalkeepers who have won the Golden Glove award in terms of minutes per goal conceded. Seda conceded just nine goals and saved 42 in the tournament for the Gaurs. However, the player and the team ended their association after just one season.
2015: Apoula Edel (Chennaiyin FC, 6 clean sheets)
Former Paris St Germain shot-stopper, Apoula Edel came to India during the inaugural edition of the ISL. During his stint with Atletico de Kolkata, the player featured only in nine games and could garner just four clean sheets. However, in 2015, he joined Chennaiyin FC and finished the season with six clean sheets in 13 games.
The player was phenomenal between the sticks and led the Marina Machans to the title and bagged the Golden Glove award as well.
2016: Amrinder Singh (Mumbai City FC, 5 clean sheets)
Mumbai City FC goalie Amrinder Singh was the first Indian to win the Golden Glove award in the third edition of the ISL. The Punjab-born player won the coveted award with five clean sheets in just six games. Though Mumbai City FC failed to make it to the playoffs in 2016, Amrinder Singh stole the show.
The consistent performances in 2016 earned him a spot in the national side. He also has the best numbers in terms of minutes per goal conceded.
2017/18: Subrata Pal (Jamshedpur FC, 7 clean sheets)
One of India's best goalkeepers, Subrata Pal won the Golden Glove award in the 2017/18 edition of the ISL. Subrata Pal was unstoppable in the fourth edition of the league while featuring for Jamshedpur FC. The player conceded less than a goal per game in the 18 appearances he made. Despite convincing performances throughout the league stage, Subrata Pal failed to carry the team to the final.
In the 2017/18 season, he claimed seven clean sheets with 44 saves to his name. The 34-year-old goalkeeper is featuring for Hyderabad FC in the ongoing edition and will look to emulate the top-class performance again.
2018/19: Gurpreet Singh Sandhu (Bengaluru FC, 7 clean sheets)
After failing to win the ISL title on the first attempt, the Bengaluru-based outfit was determined to win the title on their second attempt. In pursuing their first-ever title, Gurpreet Singh Sandhu played a major role.
Throughout the tournament, Bengaluru FC had a solid backline with Gurpreet as the player between the sticks. He conceded less than a goal per game and accounted for 61 saves in the tournament. With seven sheets that season, he lifted the trophy as well as the Golden Glove award.
2019/20: Gurpreet Singh Sandhu (Bengaluru FC, 11 clean sheets)
Bengaluru FC came into the sixth edition of the ISL with hopes of defending their title. Though the Bengaluru-based outfit failed to defend the title, Gurpreet Singh Sandhu retained the Golden Glove and became the first-ever goalkeeper to do so.
In the 2019/20 season, Sandhu conceded just 14 goals in 19 games before the club lost to ATK in the semifinals. The player had eleven clean sheets to his name, saving 49 shots in the process.
With ISL 2020/21 underway, Gurpreet will be keen to make it three in a row.