Manchester United have had several outstanding goalkeepers during the Premier League era, but five stand clearly above the rest when it comes to clean sheets for the club.
David de Gea, Peter Schmeichel, Edwin van der Sar, Fabien Barthez and Roy Carroll occupy the top five positions based on Premier League clean sheets recorded for Manchester United.
The figures below refer specifically to the Premier League and exclude clean sheets these goalkeepers recorded for other clubs.
1. David de Gea – 147 clean sheets
David de Gea is Manchester United’s leading goalkeeper for Premier League clean sheets, finishing his Old Trafford career with 147 clean sheets. The Spaniard spent 12 seasons with United after joining Atletico Madrid in 2011 and made 415 Premier League appearances. The147 clean sheets in the Premier League, places him among the competition’s leading goalkeepers. He won the Premier League Golden Glove twice, in 2017/18 and 2022/23, with his final campaign bringing 17 league clean sheets.
2. Peter Schmeichel – 112 clean sheets
Peter Schmeichel remains second on Manchester United’s Premier League clean-sheet list with 112 clean sheets. The Danish goalkeeper was a key figure during United’s dominant 1990s period, making 252 Premier League appearances for the club between 1992 and 1999. The Premier League’s Hall of Fame profile recipient, Schmeichel also holds the Premier League record for 15 home clean sheets in a 42-match season, achieved in 1994/95.
3. Edwin van der Sar – 91 clean sheets
Edwin van der Sar occupies third place with 91 Premier League clean sheets for Manchester United. The Dutchman joined United in 2005 and made 186 Premier League appearances for the club. His time at Old Trafford included four Premier League titles and the competition’s 2008/09 record-breaking run of 14 consecutive clean sheets. Van der Sar finished his career with 132 Premier League clean sheets overall, of which 91 came during his six-season spell with the club.
4. Fabien Barthez – 30 clean sheets
Fabien Barthez ranks fourth with 30 Premier League clean sheets for Manchester United. The French World Cup winner joined United in 2000 and made 92 league appearances across three seasons. His best campaign statistically came in 2000/01, when he kept 14 clean sheets in 30 appearances. Opta Analyst notes that although Barthez’s Premier League career included only 92 appearances for United, the goalkeeper would only keep 30 clean sheets for the Red Devils. That total places him fourth in United’s Premier League goalkeeper rankings.
5. Roy Carroll – 24 clean sheets
Roy Carroll completes Manchester United’s top five with 24 Premier League clean sheets. The Northern Irish goalkeeper made 50 league appearances for United between 2001 and 2005, competing for the starting position during a period that also included Fabien Barthez and Tim Howard. Carroll’s most productive season came in 2004/05, when he kept 15 clean sheets in 27 appearances. His United Premier League record stands at 24 clean sheets from 50 appearances.
The data has been taken from Opta Analyst.
