Bruce Grobbelaar

Bruce David Grobbelaar (born 6 October 1957) is a Zimbabwean former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper, most prominently for English team Liverpool between 1981 and 1994, and for the Zimbabwean national team.

He is remembered for his gymnastic-like athletic ability, unflappable confidence and eccentric and flamboyant style of play, as well as his rushing ability, which has led pundits to compare him retrospectively to the sweeper-keepers of the modern era.

Liverpool approached Tony Waiters with the idea of taking Grobbelaar to Anfield, and Waiters, who had a working relationship with Liverpool in the 1970s, paved the way for the move.

Born in South Africa, Grobbelaar grew up in neighbouring Rhodesia (today Zimbabwe), and served in the Rhodesian Army before he joined the Vancouver Whitecaps of the North American Soccer League in 1979.

He gained Liverpool's attention during a loan spell at Crewe Alexandra during the 1979–80 season, and signed for the Merseyside club in 1981.

In 1979 Grobbelaar was signed by the Vancouver Whitecaps of the NASL after he had attended their scouting camp in South Africa.

At the Vancouver Whitecaps, Grobbelaar played under the management of former England and Blackpool goalkeeper, Tony Waiters, making his debut on 4 August 1979 against the Los Angeles Aztecs away.

The Whitecaps lost 0–2, Johan Cruyff scoring one of the Aztecs' goals.

Grobbelaar spent the rest of the season as second choice to former Wolverhampton Wanderers keeper Phil Parkes.

During 1979, he visited England to see family friends, and a chance phone call from Ron Atkinson, brought him an impromptu trial with West Bromwich Albion.

Atkinson was keen to sign Grobbelaar but owing to difficulties over gaining a work permit, the deal fell through.

In stepped Crewe Alexandra, signing Grobbelaar on loan on 18 December 1979.

In an early League appearance for the Railwaymen in Division 4, the unknown Grobbelaar was named on the Team Sheet in the York City Match Day Programme as "Bill Grobbelaar".

During his time at Crewe, Grobbelaar played 24 League games and scored his only professional goal, a penalty, in his last game.

By good fortune, on the evening when he gave his greatest performance for Crewe, he was spotted by Liverpool's head scout Tom Saunders.

At the end of the loan period, Grobbelaar returned to Vancouver for the 1980 NASL season.

By the time Liverpool had completed their research on Grobbelaar, he had returned to Vancouver with his loan spell now over.

Grobbelaar signed for Liverpool for £250,000 on 17 March 1981 as their reserve goalkeeper, but in mid-1981, regular goalkeeper Ray Clemence's departure to Tottenham Hotspur gave Grobbelaar his opportunity.

Grobbelaar made his debut on 28 August 1981 but failed to prevent Wolverhampton Wanderers winning the league fixture 1–0 at Molineux.

Also making their debuts were defender Mark Lawrenson and midfielder Craig Johnston.

His first clean sheet came a fortnight later at Anfield on 5 September, Arsenal were the visitors who were beaten by a 2–0 scoreline.

Grobbelaar's early days as No.1 were strewn with errors and the Reds struggled to obtain any sort of consistency, Grobbelaar taking a lot of the blame.

By the end of the calendar year Liverpool were mid table in the league and looked to be out of the running for title honours, especially as they had just lost to Manchester City 3–1 at Anfield in the Boxing Day fixture – a defeat which put John Bond's team top of the league.

The New Year brought a new momentum as Bob Paisley began to get the best out of his players; they began the year in South Wales visiting the Vetch Field to play Swansea City in the FA Cup, Liverpool were in fine form and thumped their hosts 4–0.

This set them on their way in the league and dropped just seven of the 50 available points overhauling the points gap that Ipswich Town had opened on them.

Grobbelaar added the championship medal to the League Cup winners medal he had gained at Wembley on 13 March; the Reds beat Spurs 3–1, who had Ray Clemence in goal.

During the period 1981–1994, Grobbelaar played 627 first team games for Liverpool, becoming known for his eccentric and flamboyant style.

Making 628 appearances for Liverpool over the next 13 years, including 440 in the League, he won the League championship with the club six times, as well as three FA Cups, three League Cups and the 1983–84 European Cup.

In 1984, the European Cup final between Liverpool and Roma finished 1–1 after extra time, and went to a penalty shootout.

As Roma's Bruno Conti prepared to take his kick, Grobbelaar walked towards the goal smiling confidently at the cameras lined-up behind, then proceeded to bite the back of the net, in imitation of eating spaghetti.

Conti sent his spot kick over the bar.

Grobbelaar then produced a similar performance before Francesco Graziani took his kick, wobbling his legs in mock terror.

Grobbelaar left Liverpool for Southampton in 1994, transferred to Plymouth Argyle two years later, and thereafter played for an assortment of English lower-league teams, never for more than a few games.

He was appointed as goalkeeper coach for Ottawa Fury FC of the North American Soccer League in 2014.

In March 2018 he was announced as goalkeeper coach for the Matabeleland football team.

In his teenage years, Grobbelaar was a talented cricketer and was offered a baseball scholarship in the United States, but a career in football was his main ambition.

He attended David Livingstone Primary School in Harare before moving onto Hamilton High School (Bulawayo).

His footballing career started with a Bulawayo-based team, Highlanders FC, in Rhodesia's second biggest city.

In his late teens he was signed up by Durban City Football Club in South Africa, but left claiming to have been sidelined owing to his colour in a predominantly black team — the team had played in an all-white league until the previous year.

Immediately after leaving Highlands Park, he was conscripted into National Service, spending eleven months on active service in the Rhodesia Regiment during the Rhodesian Bush War.