Years before the sweeper keeper was even a thing, Jose Luis Chilavert was making up his own rules and twatting in thunderbastards on a regular basis. He was decent between the posts, too - make no mistake about that - but El Buldog's special power was his lethal free kick.
The Paraguayan even managed to score a hat-trick in an Argentinian league game for Velez Sarsfield (a club for whom he banged in 36 goals).
In all, he scored 67 goals during a 22-year career - the second highest of any goalkeeper.
Sportivo Luqueno - 1982-84
Born in Luque, Gran Asuncion, Chilavert made his footballing debut with local club Sportivo Luqueño, where he was trained by Modesto Sandoval, one of Paraguay's greatest ever 'keepers.
Guarani - 1984-85
A move to one of Paraguay's most famous clubs followed, when Chilavert signed for Guarani in the summer of 1984.
San Lorenzo - 1985-88
By now, Chilavert's qualities were being noticed outside of Paraguay. In 1985, San Lorenzo, one of Argentina's Los 5 Grandes (big five), brought the stopper to Buenos Aires. He played 122 times for the club - but never scored.
Real Zaragoza - 1988-1991
Next up was a move to Europe, joining Spanish club Real Zaragoza. Chilavert said: "The fans used to freak out when I would come out with the ball at my feet and scream at me to get back in goal. I've never stopped to think about what others are saying. I just rely on my abilities. Later on, I started to practice penalties and free kicks until they gave me the job for real."
Velez Sarsfield - 1991-2001
Chilavert moved back to Argentina in 2001, where he played with Velez Sarsfield, helping them win the Primera División four times, as well as the Copa Libertadores and the Intercontinental Cup, both in 1994. Being nicknamed ‘El Buldog’, (The Bulldog) meant he often wore a cartoon bulldog on his goalkeeper jersey. In 1999, he became the first goalkeeper known to score a hat-trick in the history of professional football.
2001-04
Spells at Strasbourg and Penarol followed in the final years of Chilavert's career.
Paraguay - 1989-2004
Chilavert represented his national team 74 times over 14 years, scoring eight times. His heroics for Paraguay in the 1998 World Cup brought the crazy glovesman to the attention of many of us, as he captained his side to the Round of 16, where they were narrowly beaten by hosts France.
The game was more fun with players like Chilavert, wasn’t it? Thanks for the memories, El Buldog.
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Credit: PA:Press Association
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