A lot of professional footballers will make the claim that their position is the most difficult to play and the most important on the pitch, though for goalkeepers, that may well be true.

Few teams have ever succeeded without a safe pair of hands between the sticks; a dependable goalkeeper can add ten points over a campaign, be the difference between survival and relegation, and between winning the league and falling short.

The EFL Championship has been blessed with some incredible shot-stoppers over the years, including the likes of Emiliano Martinez, James Trafford, Jordan Picked, and David Raya, and without those spells in the English second tier, they may well not have gone on to become the players they are today.

The next generation of great goalkeepers could be playing in the division right now, as Football League World has taken a look at and attempted to rank the 11 best shot-stoppers currently plying their trade in the Championship.

11 Federico Ravaglia - Watford

Italian shot-stopper Federico Ravaglia made the move from Serie A to Vicarage Road over the summer to replace Egil Selvik in between the sticks, in what was his first move abroad in his career.

The 26-year-old came through the ranks of Bologna, and went on to make 52 appearances across all competitions in Emilia-Romagna, either side of loan spells with the likes of Südtirol, AS Gubbio, Frosinone, and Reggina before joining Watford.

Since switching to England, Ravaglia has impressed despite the Hornets' struggles, and if he can continue to stand out, his time in Hertfordshire surely won't last long.

10 Jose Sa - Wolverhampton Wanderers

Wolverhampton Wanderers' Jose Sa is the keeper with the largest pedigree in the entire Championship right now, with over 150 Premier League appearances under his belt for the Old Gold, five caps for Portugal, as well as spells with the likes of FC Porto, Olympiacos, and Maritimo.

However, Wolves head coach Cesar Peixoto wasn't totally convinced by his compatriot heading into this season, with Daniel Bentley starting out in goal before his subsequent move to Coventry City, whilst there were talks as to whether Sam Johnstone would get the nod before joining Celtic.

The 33-year-old is yet to truly stand out in the Championship, and having lost his place in goal numerous times with Wolves, it's difficult to rank him much higher.

9 Michael Cooper - Sheffield United

Coming through the ranks of Plymouth Argyle, Michael Cooper announced himself as the Pilgrims' number one in the 2020/21 campaign, and helped the Devon-based outfit to the Championship in 2023 under Steven Schumacher.

The Englishman would secure a move to Sheffield United in the summer of 2024 and continued to impress, and though the 2025/26 season was a tough year for Cooper, he remains one of the best shot-stoppers in the division.

Having previously attracted interest from Everton and West Ham, Cooper's efforts between the sticks this season will likely be crucial to any success the Blades have this year.

8 James Beadle - Birmingham City

James Beadle has slowly worked his way up the divisions. Having come through the ranks of Charlton Athletic, the Englishman joined Brighton and Hove Albion in January 2022, and after loan spells with the likes of Crewe Alexandra, Oxford United, and Sheffield Wednesday, he'd join Birmingham City on loan in the summer of 2025.

After impressing at St Andrews, Chris Davies' side decided to bring the 22-year-old back to the Second City for another loan spell; under contract with Brighton until at least 2030, the Seagulls believe he has a bright future ahead of him.

If he can continue this trajectory, it would be no surprise to see Beadle playing top-flight football sooner rather than later.

7 Radek Vitek – Middlesbrough

Radek Vitek earned his first taste of Championship football last campaign following his loan move from Manchester United to Bristol City, where the Czechian replaced Max O'Leary between the sticks at Ashton Gate.

According to FotMob, only Coventry City's Carl Rushworth (7.7) prevented more goals than Vitek (7.4) in the second tier across last campaign, as the 22-year-old caught the eye.

His performances tempted Middlesbrough into parting ways with a potential £14 million to bring the 22-year-old to the Riverside, and whilst he has yet to display the form that saw Boro pay a hefty fee to bring him to the club, he is still clearly one of the best in the business in the division.

6 Jacob Widell Zetterström - Derby County

Derby County's Jacob Widell Zetterström has been widely regarded as one of the best goalkeepers in the Championship ever since making the move to Pride Park from Swedish outfit Djurgarden in the summer of 2024.

The Swede recently represented his nation at the 2026 FIFA World Cup in games against Japan and France, impressing in both, and, naturally, attracted interest from elsewhere, becoming the subject of interest from Italian side Monza over the summer.

Into the final year of his deal with the Rams, Derby cannot afford to allow Zetterstrom to leave for nothing; it would be a huge loss both on the pitch and financially. However, interest is likely to be rife, and John Eustace's side may have to face the music on this one if they are unable to convince him to sign fresh terms soon.

5 Lawrence Vigouroux - Swansea City

Chilean international Lawrence Vigouroux has had one of the most unconventional careers to get to this point, and now one of the best in his position in the division, could well be playing Premier League football next year if Swansea City can achieve the unthinkable.

Starting with Tottenham Hotspur before moving to Liverpool, Swindon Town, Waterford in Ireland, CD Everton in Chile, Leyton Orient, Burnley, and Swansea had led him to the point.

One of the best ball-playing goalkeepers in the division, Vigouroux's ability with his feet sets him apart from the rest and is crucial in Swansea's build-up play, as the 32-year-old deserves his spot high on this list.

4 Daniel Peretz – Southampton

Daniel Peretz initially joined Southampton on loan in January 2026 from Bayern Munich as a replacement for the struggling Gavin Bazunu, which proved to be an inspired decision by Tonda Eckert and his side.

The Israeli international, according to FotMob, prevented 6.54 goals from January until the end of the season in the Championship for the Saints, and was crucial to their rise into the play-offs before their ultimate expulsion.

Unsurprisingly, Southampton sought to make the move permanent for just £6.05 million in the summer, and whilst Peretz has yet to hit the heights of last season, he remains undoubtedly one of the best in the division.

3 Viktor Johansson - Stoke City

Stoke City's Viktor Johansson has been one of the very best goalkeepers in the Championship across the past five years, even with Rotherham United, where he consistently outperformed his expected goals against.

The Swede has stepped up to become Sweden's new number one recently in the absence of Zetterstrom, and few would deny that it is well-deserved.

Preventing a staggering 15.82 goals for the Potters over the course of the 2024/25 Championship season, as per FotMob, had it not been for Johansson, Stoke would have almost certainly been relegated that year.

Distilling confidence into his defence with his performances and personality, only a couple can claim to be better than the 28-year-old right now.

2 Pierce Charles - Queen’s Park Rangers​​​​

Pierce Charles mightily impressed during his time with Sheffield Wednesday despite the Owls' struggles, and thrown into the deep end at such a young age, the Northern Irishman thrived.

His performances despite Wednesday's demise didn't go unnoticed, as Manchester City agreed a deal worth a potential £10 million with the South Yorkshire outfit over the summer before he immediately headed out on loan to Queens Park Rangers.

Charles has quickly become a fan favourite for the West London outfit, with his heroic performances on the international stage, as well as away to West Ham United, thrusting him further into the spotlight.

If he continues on this trajectory, the Premier League is just a matter of when, not if, for Charles.