Ederson’s career before joining Manchester City was eventful, to say the least. He didn’t take a conventional route to the top of the game.
Despite being Brazilian, he never played professionally in his home country as he was snapped up by Benfica from Sao Paulo at the age of 16.
However, things didn’t go well for him in Lisbon initially as he was released just two years after his arrival. He joined second-tier Ribeirao for a year prior to an important spell at Rio Ave.
In his three seasons with the Primeira Liga side, he put in several good performances that attracted the interest of his former team Benfica.
Ederson spent two years at Benfica and won 4 trophies
After moving back to Lisbon in a deal worth €500,000 in the summer of 2015, he became first-choice within the space of nine months following an injury to No.1 Julio Cesar.
During his two seasons with Benfica, Ederson won the league title twice as well as the Portuguese Cup and the Portuguese League Cup. His displays attracted the attention of Manchester City,
The perfect fit for Guardiola’s City
After Claudio Bravo struggled during Pep Guardiola’s first season in charge of the Cityzens, the club went all out to find a new keeper who would satisfy the Catalan’s exacting demands. They needed a shot-stopper who was very comfortable with the ball at his feet and Ederson was the ideal target.
The club splashed out £35m to make him the second most expensive keeper in history at the time. Since arriving at the Etihad, the Brazilian has not looked back, having been the club’s first-choice for eight seasons.
Many regard Ederson as the ultimate ‘sweeper-keeper’, with his passing ability second to none among goalkeepers. His agility and anticipation mean he is also adept at clearing his lines when a ball is played in behind the defence. Like other past South American shot-stoppers, he is also comfortable taking penalties if required.
Ederson’s achievements since moving to England
- The club’s no.1 has won 18 trophies at City, including six league titles, two FA Cups, four Carabao Cups, three Community Shields, the UEFA Super Cup, the FIFA Club World Cup and the Champions League.
- Ederson has won the Premier League Golden Glove in three successive years between 2019 and 2022.
- He was named in the PFA Team of the Year in both 2019 and 2021.
- Ederson was awarded The Best FIFA Goalkeeper prize in 2023.
Find out who is in Manchester City’s first-team squad for the 2024/2025 season here
