Guglielmo Vicario: Who is Tottenham's new "exceptional goalkeeper"? | OneFootball

Highlights

Play Video

The upcoming season marks yet another inauguration at Tottenham. This time, it is Ange the Aussie tasked with overseeing Spurs’ reformation, and the start of a new cycle on Hotspur Way.

Postecoglou’s appointment was initially met with large swathes of scepticism, reminiscent of the reaction to his unveiling at Celtic Park in 2021, however, slowly but surely the stern Australian who imbues a sense calming assurance and eternal warmth gradually won the bhoys fans over, while the same is still yet to be confirmed in North London, the process of endearing himself to the Spurs faithful has begun, and it is the same process that new goalkeeper, Guglielmo Vicario has also undertaken.

The Italian will be hoping his start is as emphatic as Postecoglou’s was at Parkhead, brought in to take over from Tottenham mainstay, Hugo Lloris the shot-stopper will be hoping to make an immediate impact as his new side return to Premier League action.

A relative unknown to those not well-acquainted with Italian football, Vicario perhaps isn’t the big name many fans will have had pencilled in on their wish lists prior to the transfer window opening. However, similar to his new boss, Postecoglou it certainly goes back to that old adage of never judging a book by its cover, but who exactly is Guglielmo Vicario?

Who is Guigelmo Vicario?

With a name like Guglielmo Vicario it won’t come as a shock that the 6’4 shot-stopper heralds from Italy. However, his nickname “Venom” is perhaps a little more culturally ambiguous, and refers to the player’s fiery propensities while on the pitch, according to two DAZN reporters who drew similarities between the player’s reputation for outbursts of anger and Spider-Man’s familiar adversary.

Marvel-comparisons aside, born and raised in the lesser-known mountainous reaches of the Northern Italian province of Udine, the 26-year-old derives from humble stock. Unlike most future professionals, Vicario’s ability between the sticks was picked up rather belatedly by local Serie A side, Udinese at the age of 16.

Swiftly offloaded to Venezia, a club famous for its cityscapes, stylish kits, and waterside stadium, the ‘keeper was made the club’s first choice as a 19-year-old loanee while in Serie D. Following promotion to Serie C, the Venice-based side picked the up-and-comer up from Udinese for an absolute bargain of €500, the price of a 4K television or PlayStation 5. After back-to-back campaigns warming the bench in the picturesque setting of his new footballing abode, the physical specimen regained his starting place before catching the eye of Serie A outfit, Cagliari.

Sealing a move to Sardinia, the young goalkeeper swapped the chillier climate of the North for the unrelenting heat of the South, making the island his new home for two seasons before being sold on to Empoli where he began to truly establish himself.

Having impressed in Florence over two seasons with Gli Azzurri under boss, Paolo Zanetti, the net-minder was on the radar of several clubs around Europe, however, the swift hand of Spurs’ Daniel Levy swooped in first, with the coy businessman snapping up Vicario’s services as the prospective heir to club captain, Hug Lloris for a handsome sum of £17 million.

Signing on a five-year contract, the rangy goalkeeper is reputedly earning a salary of £3.9 million per annum, according to Spotrac. Placing him in the mid-range of earners at Tottenham, Vicario’s salary equates to £75,000 p/w almost quadrupling the figure he was on at his previous club.

The former Venetian arrives at Tottenham with his eyes firmly fixated on that number one spot, the position tenanted consistently by World Cup-winner, Hugo Lloris over the last decade.

With the Frenchman’s susceptibility to catastrophic mistakes an Achilles heal at Spurs, and with Postecoglou’s introduction of a new brand and style of football, the gloves of a new man have been elected by the club’s hierarchy, with Vicario set for a starting berth come his new side’s Premier League opener away at Brentford.

A physical presence in goal, a safe pair of hands under the high ball, and a commanding figure in his box Tottenham’s new kid on the block comprises all the traditional attributes of a solid ‘keeper.

However, placing conventionalism to the side, Vicario is very much the modern goalkeeper. Supremely competent with the ball at his feet, the player made the seventh most accurate long ball passes in the whole of Serie A last season, a facet that taps into Postecoglou’s progressive way of playing football.

Not only is he confident picking out his teammates with both feet, but Vicario’s shot-stopping ability is there for all to see, having recorded the highest number of saves during the 2021-22 campaign with 152 saves, and eighth-highest last term, keeping seven clean sheets in the process. It’s no wonder, his new manager is so enamoured with him, labelling him “an exceptional goalkeeper”.

Venomous in name only

Despite his nickname being after a sociopathic antagonist, Vicario is clearly a deeply principled man, driven by moral conscience, and making the world a better place. As a person who makes a healthy living keeping others at bay with his acrobatic reflexes, the Italian Stallion has opened his net, and welcomed others in; namely, two Ukrainian refugees.

Following the outbreak of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the footballer took it upon himself to provide shelter and home to a mother and son fleeing their homeland. A sacrificial gesture of goodwill and human decency, the measure of the man isn’t his venomous reputation, but rather his generosity, kindness, and eagerness to help those suffering great adversity.

While Vicario now gets used to his new surroundings in North London, Ukrainians, Hanna and Milan remain at his Italian residence safe from the ensuing conflict. The ‘keeper whose humanitarian capacity is as strong as his footballing ability, could well be a revelation at Tottenham next season and who knows, maybe he’ll even mount a challenge on the seemingly immovable object that is his national side teammate, Gianluigi Donarumma.