The Back-up Goalkeepers getting a Big Stage after their Rivals' Retirement

 A number of the first goalkeepers in their club had to wait for years to gain their spotlight after the main shot stopper’s retirement.

Being the second fiddle on the national team for a goalkeeper is rather frustrating. One might have limited opportunities to hit the pitch in the major competition, especially when the first choice seems unstoppable. Such is even worse if the managers never consider rotating the men between the sticks. The second goalies have often been touted as the second best for far too long and would never have a chance to take the spot on the first team unless the first shot stopper hung his gloves.

Such is what happens to Marc-Andre ter Stegen today. The Barcelona shot stopper has been regarded as good as Manuel Neuer for the Germany national team. Yet, Neuer always got the first nod in the line-up until the Bayern skipper himself finally decided to retire. Ter Stegen is expected to be the first choice in the upcoming major tournament, the 2026 FIFA World Cup, after sitting on the bench for eight years so far.

What the former Gladbach’s man went through is not exactly new. There had been others who were entangled in such a predicament. Interestingly, not all of them did manage to put on a show as impressive as their predecessors, at least the ones on the elite sides in the past two and three decades. Here are those unfortunate yet patient understudies with the longest wait.

Gregory Coupet (France)

He was Lyon’s key man between the sticks when they clinched the Ligue 1 title seven times in a row. Coupet made his debut in 2001 during the FIFA Confederation Cup in Japan and Korea. Unfortunately, he only remained the second choice in major tournaments from 2002 and 2006 FIFA World Cup, and EURO 2004. The experienced Fabian Barthez had been seemingly blocking his chance due to the eccentric shot stopper’s constant top form with Les Blues.

His opportunity to get a nod in the lineup finally arrived at EURO 2008, as Barthez was no longer actively playing. However, the former PSG and Atletico Madrid man was unable to help his country progress. In fact, France had the worst EURO campaign as they were winless and slumped in their last two matches versus the Netherlands and Italy. Coupet eventually called for international retirement in July 2010 after being excluded by Raymond Domenech for the World Cup squad. He only received a call-up 34 times for international matches.

Chris Woods (England)

The former Sheffield Wednesday and Burnley shot stopper had to wait for seven years to be named the first goalie on the England national team. He made his debut in 1985 against the USA and eventually made the cut for the 1986 FIFA World Cup squad. He went on to be Peter Shilton’s second fiddle in the 1988 and 1990 FIFA World Cups. His senior at last hung his gloves after Italy in 1990.

At the age of 34, he was finally given the spotlight by Sir Bobby Robson’s successor, Graham Taylor, for EURO 1992, which was his first appearance as the number one. Woods was actually fielded in the third game of the group stage against the Soviet Union in EURO 1988, but his status was still an understudy, and the Three Lions were already eliminated from the competition, so such a match was merely a formality.

Santiago Canizares (Spain)

The former Valencia star from the late 1990s until the mid-2000s had been only the second choice in La Furia Roja, despite his impressive debut against Denmark in 1994 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. Spain had the Basque-born legend, Andoni Zubizarreta between the sticks at their disposal at that time. 

He was part of the Spain squad in 1994, 1998, the 2006 FIFA World Cup, EURO 1996, and 2004 as either Zubizarreta’s or Iker Casillas’ understudy. Canizares, who played in the opener against South Korea in 1994 to replace the suspended Barcelona man, finally made his major tournament appearances at EURO 2000. Initially, he was still sidelined for Jose Molina at the opener, but Spain's unexpected defeat to Norway became the real-eye opener that they should have counted on the former Real Madrid youth team member as the great Zubizarretta's successor. He was then selected for the remaining three games in the tournament.

Unfortunately, his place was then taken over by young Iker Casillas in the next major competitions: the 2002, 2006, and 2004 World Cups. He had only been in the team for one game against Saudi Arabia at the group stage.

Andreas Koepke (Germany)

He was Germany's hero during their triumphant campaign in EURO 1996. Koepke contributed heavily to the competition as Bertie Vogts’ men clinched their third continental title. However, the former Nuremberg and Marseille man had to wait for eight years to finally get the nod as the first-choice goalie, following Bodo Illgner’s early retirement from the international stage. The World Cup hero in Italy in 1990 was still 27 at the time.

Koepke made his international debut against Czechia in 1992, four years after his first call-up. He was part of the squad during Germany’s campaigns in 1990 and 1994 FIFA World Cup plus EURO 1992. Yet, he did not play a single game in those competitions.

After his top form in England in 1996, Koepke remained between the sticks in the 1998 FIFA World Cup, which unfortunately marked the decline of German football as they relied on the ageing squad, including 38-year-old Lothar Matthaeus, and suffered a humiliating 3-0 loss to Croatia in the quarterfinal. It turned out to be his final appearance in a German shirt too.