Football League World
·13 July 2024
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·13 July 2024
The veteran gloveman will be fondly remembered by the three clubs that shared the majority of his career
Veteran goalkeeper Paul Robinson had long stints at three English clubs and his performances mean he will be remembered fondly by each of the trio.
He made well in excess of 100 appearances for each of Leeds United, Blackburn Rovers and Tottenham Hotspur in a career that spanned 16 years.
A brief stint in the 2016/17 season saw him end his career with Burnley, making three appearances for the then-Premier League side, but it is the former trio that he will be most remembered for.
Ever-dependable, he is relatively rare in that he left a strong impression on every club he turned out for.
As is so often the case with a young talent from Yorkshire, Robinson came through the academy at Leeds and managed to put himself in the frame for the no.1 spot in the 1998/99 season, making five Premier League appearances that season.
It was two seasons later, in 2000/01, that the stopper would next progress to stardom, turning out 16 times in England's top flight and taking the Whites on an incredible Champions League journey. He helped the side earn draws against heavyweights like Barcelona, AC Milan and Real Madrid, whilst also providing clean sheets in a win and a draw against Lazio and Besiktas respectively.
Those years represented a historic chapter in Leeds' story, and Robinson was right there, in the thick of the action.
The goalkeeper sparked back into life in 2002/03, becoming Elland Road's main man for two consecutive seasons before being lured away by Tottenham.
He made 118 appearances in total for Leeds and even managed to bag himself a goal; an injury-time header against Swindon Town in the League Cup.
Having nearly moved to White Hart Lane months earlier, Robinson completed a £1.5million move to Spurs in the summer of 2004.
He would go on to be the Lilywhites' main man between the sticks for the following four seasons. He'd already made his England debut, but it was during his time with the north London club that he truly nailed down his place as the main Three Lions gloveman, playing every minute of their 2006 World Cup campaign.
As he was so consistent at each of his three clubs, it's difficult to conclude where Robinson peaked, but his time at Spurs would provide a strong case when considered alongside his international career.
Quite incredibly for a goalkeeper, Robinson also scored for Spurs, this time in the Premier League from a free-kick deep inside his own half that fortuitously bounced over the head of Watford's Ben Foster.
Aside from his handful of appearances for Burnley, the main era of Robinson's playing career drew to a close at Blackburn Rovers.
He signed for the Blue and Whites in July 2008 for a reported fee of £3.5million and went on to have three full Premier League seasons with the club, before Rovers suffered relegation in the 2011/12 season.
Robinson stuck by Rovers and remained at the club for the following three seasons, appearing less regularly and seeing out the final years of his career in the Championship.
He made 201 appearances for the Lancashire club, the most he made for any single team throughout his career.
Solid and dependable, Robinson was one of the early figures between the sticks who could also contribute to the team in a footballing sense, alongside the bread-and-butter work of stopping shots, where many 'keepers that had gone before him saw their talent stop.
With a solid career comprised of lengthy stints at three huge clubs, plus a very respectable England career; it is easy to see why Robinson will remain fondly remembered in equal parts at the trio of clubs that he spent most of his career.
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