Heurelho Gomes has arrived with a fine shot-stopping reputation and Tottenham fans are likely to expect big things as the campaign wears on, writes Andy Hampson.
Heurelho Gomes is a quick, athletic goalkeeper now looking to establish himself in the Barclays English Premier League with Tottenham Hotspur after excelling with Dutch side PSV Eindhoven.
Gomes was born in Joao Pinheiro in the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais and grew up in poverty. He did not start playing football until he was 14, when ‘striker’ was his preferred position.
Gomes only took up the gloves through necessity. It was at a beach football tournament when, with no spaces in other positions available, Gomes gave goalkeeping a try. He showed a natural aptitude for the position and earned a deal with local side Democrata de Sete Lagoas at the age of 18. Three years later, he was given a shot at the big time after being spotted by Cruzeiro.
He broke into the first team in September 2002, making 14 appearances in his first season before going on to enjoy another 40 as he made a name for himself in the following campaign. He earned international recognition with the Brazil Under-23 team and was then snapped up by PSV in 2004.
His signing was met with a huge degree of scepticism by PSV fans, who found the concept of a Brazilian goalkeeper somewhat of a concern given the stereotypical image of the country’s shot-stoppers as error-prone. Yet, he soon won them over with his brilliant reflex saves backed up by a solid all-round game and consistency.
Gomes became a crowd favourite as PSV reached the UEFA Champions League semifinals in 2005 and he also set an Eredivisie record of 971 minutes without conceding a goal. Further streaks of 956 and 817 minutes followed.
Gomes was a member of the Brazil squad at the 2005 Confederations Cup but was overlooked for the World Cup the following year. His international debut came only after the tournament, in a friendly against Norway.
Nevertheless, he was still a firm favourite at PSV, which he helped to four consecutive Dutch league titles before Tottenham swooped in a GBP7.8 million deal in July.
He kept clean sheets in his first five matches last season, another Dutch league record, but his time at the Philips Stadion ended sourly after a contract dispute.
His performances since joining Tottenham have been indifferent, but the side has generally started the season sluggishly. He arrived with a fine shot-stopping reputation and Tottenham fans are likely to expect big things as the campaign wears on.
Gomes was hugely successful at PSV but, despite previously stating he would like to stay, he began to grow restless last season as the club went through three coaches and appointed a fourth to take over full-time in the summer. The problems began after Ronald Koeman left to take over at Valencia and the situation remained unsettled throughout the season.
Gomes was critical and his outspoken remarks about this and the treatment of a young team-mate did not endear him to the club’s hierarchy. Gomes had been poised to commit his future to the club until 2011, but was instead sold to Tottenham.
Gomes is married to Flavia, with whom he has two children, Henrique and Luis Felipe. Henrique enjoyed some fame himself in Holland when he featured alongside his father in a campaign for the Philips PSV shaver.
Gomes claimed in an interview recently that he had taken delivery of a new Volkswagen Touareg, a mid-size five-door SUV. He claimed to like it — and not only because VW was one of his club’s sponsor!
FactfileName: Heurelho GomesPosition: GoalkeeperClub: TottenhamDOB: 09/09/1985Brazil caps: 4Brazil goals: 0Brazil debut: v Norway, August 2006Moment to rememberGomes cites his first Brazil cap as his most memorable game. However, in terms of drama, the 2005 UEFA Champions League quarterfinal win over Lyon will take some beating as he saved penalties from Michael Essien and Eric Abidal in a shoot-out to put his side through.
Moment to forgetGomes’ hopes of making an early impression in England were dashed as lacklustre Tottenham was beaten 2-1, on his Barclays English Premier League debut, by Middlesbrough. He might have hoped for better in his second game, but the team went down 2-1 again, this time to Sunderland.
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