Tom Heaton

Heaton reads the game with the calm that comes from a long career, organising his defence verbally in a way that prevents problems before they actually reach him. His shot-stopping remains genuinely sharp, built on positioning that gets him behind the ball early rather than reacting late on reflexes alone. He commands his box with real confidence too, coming to claim crosses that a more hesitant goalkeeper would leave for a defender to deal with.

The honest tension is opportunity, because a goalkeeper this experienced now competes for minutes rather than assuming he will get them. He has spent stretches of his career as a reliable understudy rather than an undisputed first choice, and that pattern has followed him here too. Watch how he behaves with the younger goalkeepers in training, because his value now sits as much in what he passes on as in what he saves himself.