Tottenham goalie Guglielmo Vicario talks about his inspirations in Italy
Spurs keeper Guglielmo Vicario, recently shared insight into his goalkeeping inspiration, shedding light on the influences that have shaped his career. Since joining Tottenham from Empoli this summer, the 27-year-old Italian shot-stopper has played a pivotal role in the club’s early-season success, earning accolades for his performances under manager Ange Postecoglou.
As a young aspiring goalkeeper, Vicario’s fascination with the position led him to closely observe the routines and warm-ups of established keepers.
His footballing journey took him to Udinese, where he attended matches, and this is where he stood captivated by the goalkeepers on the field. Vicario was part of Udinese U19 squads regularly before moving to Venezia, Cagliari, Empoli and eventually, Tottenham.
Speaking to TuttoMercatoWeb, here is what Vicario had to say about his goalkeeping idols growing up in Italy and the answers are pretty obvious:
“The first one I followed was Buffon. When I was little, I used to go to the stadium to watch Udinese, which at that time was really one step away from the Europe that counts, and I was obsessed with getting to the stadium in time to see the goalkeepers and therefore Handanovic warm up and to see whatever he did before and after entering the field. I think that the great career he has had has also been due to his leadership: sometimes even silent; A glance was enough to give respect and credibility to his teammates.”
Vicario reminisced about his early days, revealing that his first goalkeeping idol was none other than Gianluigi Buffon, as is the case with anyone growing up in Italy with a pair of keeping gloves.
Legendary Figures
Moreover, Vicario also mentioned the legendary Samir Handanovic, who remains underrated outside of Italy. He stood struck by Handanovic’s rituals, both before and after taking the field. The Slovenian was a huge part of the successful Inter Milan sides and deserves much more credit than he is privy to.
His learnings from the likes of Handanovic and Buffon have surely shaped Vicario as a goalkeeper as is evident from his statistics. In his 10 appearances in the Premier League, Vicario has managed to secure four clean sheets, a testament to his commanding presence between the posts and the importance he holds within the team.
As Vicario continues to make his mark at Tottenham and impress both on and off the field, the inspiration he has drawn from these goalkeeping legends is clearly evident in his performances. With Hugo Lloris definitely dropping off in standards last year, it was about time we upgraded on the Frenchman.
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As he continues to guard the Lilywhites’ net, fans can take solace in knowing that Vicario’s aspirations and inspirations have been cultivated by some of the most iconic figures in the goalkeeping world.
