Greatest Premier XI: Gordon or Goram? Leighton or McGregor? Who do our writers reckon is the No.1 goalkeeper?

But Herald and Times Sport writers have put their heads together during lockdown and come up with the five players they believe have been the eminent exponents of their craft in their position in the past 45 years - and selected one for the starting line-up.

Craig Brown, the former Scotland, Motherwell and Aberdeen manager, and Archie Knox, the ex- Aberdeen, Rangers and Scotland assistant, have coached many of those in contention for a place and have also offered their expert opinions.

Our decisions have been based on three criteria, ability, longevity and success, and will be revealed on these pages over the coming fortnight. Let the arguments commence!

GOALKEEPER

5

Name: Allan McGregor

Club: Rangers (2001 to 2012 and 2018 to present day)

Titles: Three (2009, 2010, 2011)

McGregor has often found himself on the front pages of Scottish newspapers due to his exploits off the field as he has on the back pages for his heroics on it. But his quality between the sticks is beyond doubt. He had to bide his time to establish himself as a first choice player at Ibrox and spent loan spells at Dunfermline and St Johnstone. When he finally did, though, he didn’t look back. He was an ever-present in Walter Smith’s side as they won three consecutive titles between 2009 and 2011. His decision to depart Rangers after their financial implosion in 2012 made him persona non grata in Govan. But he was greeted like a returning hero when, after spells at Besiktas, Hull City and Cardiff City, he came back in 2018. A passionate, inspirational and vocal footballer who is at his very best when his side is under pressure, he has been immense for Steven Gerrard’s men in the last two seasons.

4

Name: Craig Gordon.

Club: Hearts (2001 to 2007) and Celtic (2014 to present day).

Titles: Five (2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019).

Gordon may have fallen out of favour at Parkhead in the past season and a half. But the Edinburgh-born stopper was an important member of the Ronny Deila and Brendan Rodgers teams that won the Premiership four years in a row between 2015 and 2018. He became only the fifth man to win the SFWA Player of the Year award for a second time in 2015 after helping his side go the entire season undefeated. Having spent a full two years out of the game with a serious knee injury which threatened to end his playing career before that, it was a remarkable and unexpected comeback. The 6ft 4in player, who became the most expensive keeper ever signed by a British club when he joined Sunderland for £9m in 2007, is agile for his size and has been a fine servant for his country as well as his clubs.

3

Name: Stefan Klos.

Club: Rangers (1998 to 2007).

Titles: Four (1999, 2000, 2003 and 2005).

The German had enjoyed a hugely successful career when he arrived in Scotland in a £700,000 transfer in the December of 1998. He had won the Champions League and two Bundesliga titles with his hometown club Borussia Dortmund. He quickly showed exactly why he had scaled such heights.

He took over from Lionel Charbonnier and helped Dick Advocaat’s expensively-assembled side to win the domestic treble during his debut campaign. That was a feat he repeated in the 2003 when Alex McLeish was in charge at Ibrox.

Rangers supporters expected much of their keepers after years of watching Andy Goram, but Klos proved to be a worthy heir to The Goalie. So much so, that he was nicknamed Der Goalie. He donned the captain’s armband during his time here and won no fewer than 10 major honours before leaving in 2007 and retiring.

2

Name: Jim Leighton

Clubs: Aberdeen (1977 to 1988 and 1997 to 2000) and Hibernian (1993 to 1997).

Titles: Two (1984 and 1985).

A reliable and talented keeper, Leighton took over from Bobby Clark in goals for Aberdeen after the Pittodrie club had won the Scottish title in 1980. He helped Sir Alex Ferguson’s side to dominate domestically and take Europe by storm in the following years. His shot-stopping abilities were vital as his side plundered no fewer than nine major trophies at home and abroad in the next six seasons.

He followed Fergie to Manchester United in 1988. His relationship with his manager soured after he was dropped for the 1990 FA Cup replay. He returned to Scotland in 1992 and played for Dundee, Hibernian and Aberdeen again. He retired in 2000 after making over 600 league appearances.

Leighton is Scotland’s second-most capped player behind Sir Kenny Dalglish and represented his country at the 1986, 1990 and 1998 World Cups. His haul of 91 caps is astonishing given that he was second choice behind a certain Andrew Lewis Goram for long spells.

Craig Brown dropped Leighton for the Euro ’96 finals and preferred Goram even though the former had acquitted himself brilliantly in qualifying. But Brown points out: “Jim kept more clean sheets for Scotland than Andy won caps.”

1

Name: Andy Goram

Clubs: Hibernian (1987 to 1991), Rangers (1991 to 1998) and Motherwell (1998 to 2001)

Titles: Five (1992, 1993, 1995, 1996 and 1997).

The Goalie. The nickname given to Goram by his Hibs team mates during his time at Easter Road suggested that he was without equal. For a long time, during the Nine-In-A-Row era at Ibrox in the 1990s especially, he had no peer. The Bury-born player, who qualified to play for Scotland through his parents, is arguably the best keeper this country has ever had.

At 5ft 11in, Goram was small for his position. But he was courageous, technically exceptional, possessed an uncanny positional sense, had lightning-quick reflexes and was a brilliant shot stopper.

He was, too, a man for the big occasion. His save from a Pierre van Hooijdonk shot in an Old Firm game against Celtic at Ibrox in 1995 is talked about to this day. But it was just one of many. On his day, he was capable of producing the impossible.

The 1992/93 season was arguably the best of his career. He helped Rangers go 44 games undefeated at home and abroad and get to within a game of reaching the Champions League final. He was named both SFWA and PFA Scotland Player of the Year at the end of that treble-winning campaign.

Goram’s frequent indiscretions off the park – he enjoyed a night out, had an eventful personal life and frequently featured in the tabloid for his escapades - simply added to his legend.

“He was phenomenal,” said Knox. “He had amazing instincts. He had a sixth sense about where the ball was going to go.”

“Goram could be unbeatable,” said Brown. “The ball became twice the size when somebody shot at him.”

UNLUCKY TO MISS OUT

Arthur Boruc, Fraser Forster, Chris Woods.

TOMORROW: RIGHT BACK