ÉdouardMendy,
arguably one of the best male goalkeepers in the world today, has had an
extremely fruitful time with his club Chelsea so far. Mendy stands at
6'4", an imposing presence between the sticks. Not only can he make
himself big with strikers bearing down on goal, but he can also comfortably
play out of the back, facilitating systems that are often used by coaches and
managers today. Mendy’s shot-stopping abilities, however, top the lot of his
skills, providing him with an edge over the rest of the keepers in the Premier
League.
Becoming one of
the best goalkeepers in the world brings with itself a lot of intrigue. People
try to find out how Mendy got to where he is today, the various clubs he played
for before arriving at Chelsea, his background, his family and so on. The
Senegalese is currently 30 years old, which makes him a relatively experienced
footballer. One would assume that bythis age, Mendy would have played for a
host of clubs around Europe. However, his real breakthrough came relatively
recently, just one season before he signed for Chelsea.
Mendy’s struggles
One would
naturally assume that a player signing for Chelsea at the age of 28 must have
achieved quite a bit in other leagues around the world. In Mendy’s case,
however, the story is quite different.
Mendy was
struggling during his youth after signing for Cherbourg. He only made 8
appearances for the team during his three-year stay at the club. The side
played in Championnat National, the third tier of French football, and it did
not serve well that Mendy wasn’t able to make more appearances for the
club.
He then suffered a
setback wherein he remained unemployed and without a club. He admitted that it
was extremely crucial for the job to help him support his family, and he had
his doubts as to whether he could get the same from football. However, he
obtained a move to Olympique de Marseille in 2015, where he made a few
appearances. After his short spell with Marseille’s B team, Mendy got, in many
ways, a life-saving move to Stade de Reims in 2016. It was here that his career
truly kicked off: he was given sufficient opportunities to prove his worth and
got regular game time with his new side.
Becoming the keeper he is today
Mendy’s first year
at Reims did not see much success, with the keeper making just 10 appearances
for the side. He followed this season up with two very successful ones,
however, making a total of 72 Ligue 1 appearances over the following two
seasons.
Playing regularly
in the top tier of France was just what Mendy needed to hit the next level.
After his successful stint at Reims, he made the move to Stade Rennais at the
start of the 2019/20 season; the season before this move, Mendy kept the
third-most clean sheets in the league.
The 2019/20 season
proved to be the most crucial season for the Senegalese keeper. Rennes
enjoyed a brilliant season after Mendy was introduced to the side, and
following a run of inconsistent seasons, the team managed to put together a
fine season that saw them take the third spot in the league. Mendy kept 9 clean
sheets in his 24 appearances. The season was, of course, controversially called
off as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Although Rennes could not complete
the scheduled number of games, Mendy’s performances for them were enough to
earn him the biggest move of his career so far.
Flying high
Mendy’s successful
seasons at Reims and Rennes in France saw him approached by Chelsea in the
summer of 2020. The Blues were having issues at the back, withKepaArrizabalaga
not putting in the performances expected of him. A deal for Mendy was completed
with a reported fee of £22 million, and he stepped right into Chelsea’s first
team, making 31 appearances in the Premier League during the 2020/21 season.
His spot was secured after a wonderful first season at the club, and he was put
in the same bracket as keepers like Ederson (Manchester City) and Alisson
Becker (Liverpool).
Mendy seems to be
doing alright in the 2021/22 season as well, although he has had a few shaky
moments with the ball at his feet. He has secured 9 clean sheets from his 21
league appearances so far and continues to be the first-choice keeper for head
coach Thomas Tuchel. Chelsea will most likely finish in the Top 4 in the
Premier League; they also remain in the race for another strong Champions
League finish. If they are to have a strong end to the season, Mendy will have
to put in the performances for his side.