Newcastle United goalkeeper Nick Pope has been in the headlines for all the right reasons this week.

When you launch a throw 65 yards to create a decisive goal in a Champions League win that has drawn comparisons to famous NFL quarterbacks, it is hardly a surprise.

But Pope remains a curious case when it comes to how he is perceived - both by Newcastle fans and a wider football audience.

What has been absolutely clear since his £12million arrival from Burnley in the summer of 2022, is that in terms of the fundamentals of being a good goalkeeper, there are few better than him in the Premier League.

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His ability to make difficult saves look routine and his command of the penalty area is second to none. No other goalkeeper has more clean sheets than him in the Premier League this...