David Seaman facts for kids
Seaman in 2012
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | David Andrew Seaman | ||
| Date of birth | 19 September 1963 | ||
| Place of birth | Rotherham, England | ||
| Height | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | ||
| Position(s) | Goalkeeper | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1981–1982 | Leeds United | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1982–1984 | Peterborough United | 91 | (0) |
| 1984–1986 | Birmingham City | 75 | (0) |
| 1986–1990 | Queens Park Rangers | 141 | (0) |
| 1990–2003 | Arsenal | 405 | (0) |
| 2003–2004 | Manchester City | 19 | (0) |
| Total | 731 | (0) | |
| International career | |||
| 1984–1986 | England U21 | 10 | (0) |
| 1987–1992 | England B | 6 | (0) |
| 1988–2002 | England | 75 | (0) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
David Andrew Seaman (born 19 September 1963) is a famous English former football goalkeeper. He played from 1981 to 2004. David Seaman is best known for his long time playing for Arsenal.
He also played 75 games for the England national team. This makes him England's third most capped goalkeeper. Only Peter Shilton and Jordan Pickford have played more games. In 1997, he received an award called the MBE for his great work in football.
Seaman started his career at smaller clubs like Peterborough United and Birmingham City. He then moved to Queens Park Rangers. His best years were as the goalkeeper for Arsenal and England in the 1990s and early 2000s.
While at Arsenal, he helped the team win many trophies. These included three league titles (1991, 1998, 2002) and four FA Cups (1993, 1998, 2002, 2003). He also won the League Cup in 1993 and the European Cup Winners Cup in 1994.
He played for England in the 1998 and 2002 FIFA World Cups. He also played in Euro 96 and Euro 2000. After leaving Arsenal, he played for Manchester City. He stopped playing football in 2004 because of a shoulder injury.
Many people think David Seaman is one of the best goalkeepers ever. He was known for his amazing saves. In 2013, a sports writer called him "the greatest goalkeeper in Arsenal's history." He was also easy to spot on the field because of his moustache and his ponytail hairstyle.
One of his most famous saves was against Paul Peschisolido of Sheffield United in the 2002–03 FA Cup semi-final. People said it was one of the best saves ever. However, he also had some tough moments. He let in a goal from far away in the 1995 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup Final against Nayim of Real Zaragoza. Another difficult moment was when Ronaldinho scored from a free kick against Brazil in the 2002 FIFA World Cup quarter-final.
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Early Football Career
David Seaman was born in Rotherham, England. He started his football journey at Leeds United, the team he loved as a boy. But the manager at the time, Eddie Gray, didn't want him.
So, in 1982, Seaman moved to Peterborough United for £4,000. This is where he started to become well-known. After two years, in 1984, Birmingham City paid £100,000 for him. His team got promoted that season, but then went down again the next year.
In 1986, Seaman joined Queens Park Rangers for £225,000. Playing for this bigger club helped him get noticed. He was called up to the England national football team for the first time in 1988. At QPR, he was coached by Bob Wilson, who used to be a famous Arsenal goalkeeper.
Playing for Arsenal
In 1990, Arsenal wanted to sign David Seaman. They had won the league in 1989. The deal was for £1.3 million, which was a record fee for a goalkeeper in Britain at the time. Arsenal's manager, George Graham, really wanted Seaman.
Seaman's time at Arsenal was very successful. In the 1990–91 season, Arsenal won the league title again. Seaman played in every game and only let in 18 goals all season.
Arsenal won both the FA Cup and the League Cup in 1993. A year later, they won the European Cup Winners' Cup. Seaman was a hero in the League Cup. He saved three penalties in a shootout against Millwall, helping Arsenal win.
In 1995, Arsenal almost won the Cup Winners' Cup again. Seaman became known for saving penalties. He saved three penalties in the semi-final against U.C. Sampdoria, even though he had two cracked ribs! However, Arsenal lost the final to Real Zaragoza. Their player, Nayim, scored a goal from 40 yards out over Seaman in the last minute of extra time.
In 1996, Arsène Wenger became Arsenal's new manager. Wenger thought Seaman was a great player. In 1998, Seaman helped Arsenal win both the Premier League and the FA Cup. This is called winning the "Double."
In 1998–99, Seaman played every league game. Arsenal almost won the league again, missing out by just one point. The next season, Arsenal reached the 2000 UEFA Cup Final. They drew 0–0 with Galatasaray but lost on penalties.
In 2002, Seaman won the Premier League and the FA Cup again, completing his second Double. He made a dramatic penalty save against Gareth Barry when Arsenal played Aston Villa.
The 2002–03 season was Seaman's last at Arsenal. He made an incredible save against Sheffield United in the FA Cup semi-final. Former goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel called it "the best save I've ever seen." Seaman was playing his 1,000th professional game that day.
Seaman then became the captain for the 2003 FA Cup Final. Arsenal won 1–0 against Southampton. Lifting the FA Cup was his ninth major trophy with Arsenal. He played more games in goal for Arsenal than anyone else.
Time at Manchester City
After leaving Arsenal, Seaman joined Manchester City in 2003. But his time there was short. He retired in January 2004 at the age of 40 because of his shoulder injury.
In 2005, a club called Walsall asked Seaman to play in an FA Cup game. But he had to say no. Playing would have meant he lost his retirement insurance money for his injury.
Playing for England
David Seaman played his first game for England in 1988. He played for England for 15 years in a row, which was a national record.
He was chosen for the 1990 FIFA World Cup squad, but an injury made him pull out. He became England's main goalkeeper when Terry Venables became manager. He played every minute of every game at UEFA Euro 1996 in England.
At Euro 96, Seaman saved two penalties. One was from Scotland's Gary McAllister in a group game. The other was from Miguel Ángel Nadal of Spain in a quarter-final shootout. England reached the semi-finals but lost to Germany on penalties. Seaman was named in the "Team of the Tournament."
He was also England's first-choice goalkeeper for the 1998 FIFA World Cup in France. England reached the round of 16 but lost to Argentina on penalties. He played in UEFA Euro 2000 but got injured.
Seaman was part of the 2002 FIFA World Cup squad. He played every game as England reached the quarter-finals. He helped England beat Argentina 1–0 in the group stage. In the quarter-final against Brazil, Seaman was caught off his line by Ronaldinho's long-range free kick. England lost 2–1, and Seaman blamed himself for the goal.
His last game for England was in October 2002 against Macedonia. He let in a goal directly from a corner kick. After this, the manager dropped him, and David James became England's new first-choice goalkeeper.
How He Played
At his best in the 1990s, David Seaman was seen as one of the world's top goalkeepers. He was tall and strong, known for being brave and having quick reflexes. He was great at judging the ball and coming out to catch crosses. This earned him the nickname "safe hands."
He was a calm and reliable goalkeeper who led his team well. He was also very good at saving penalties. Even though he was left-handed, he threw the ball with his right arm and kicked with his right foot.
However, later in his career, he sometimes made mistakes, especially after injuries and as he got older. He also sometimes struggled with shots from far away. For example, Nayim said his famous lobbed goal in 1995 was planned because Seaman often stood far out from his goal.
Life After Football
After retiring, David Seaman started working on his coaching badges. He also appeared on British television shows. He was in a BBC film called My Summer with Des. He also became a spokesperson for Yorkshire Tea.
In December 2004, he took part in Strictly Ice Dancing, an ice skating show. He joined with only eight days to prepare but won the competition! He returned to the ice for another show, Dancing on Ice, in 2006, finishing in fourth place.
Seaman also hosts a charity golf event called "Safe Hands." He has released two football DVDs. He has played in all six Soccer Aid charity matches for England.
In 2012, Seaman became the goalkeeping coach for Combined Counties League club Wembley. This was part of a TV show about the club trying to play at Wembley.
In 2019 and 2020, Seaman was in the ITV show Harry's Heroes. This show followed former England footballers getting fit again for a game against German legends. In 2021, he started his own podcast series called Seaman Says.
In October 2022, Seaman and his wife, Frankie Poultney, appeared on the TV show The Masked Dancer as "Pillar and Post."
Personal Life
David Seaman has been married three times. He married his first wife, Sandra, in 1985. He then married Debbie Rodgers in 1998. In 2015, he married Frankie Poultney, who is a professional ice skater. They met on Dancing on Ice.
He has four children: two sons from his first marriage and a son and daughter from his second marriage. Seaman's autobiography, called Safe Hands, was released in 2000.
Honours and Awards
David Seaman won many trophies and awards during his career.
Arsenal
- Football League First Division: 1990–91
- Premier League: 1997–98, 2001–02
- FA Cup: 1992–93, 1997–98, 2001–02, 2002–03
- Football League Cup: 1992–93
- FA Charity/Community Shield: 1991 (shared), 1998, 2002
- European Cup Winners' Cup: 1993–94
- European Super Cup runner-up: 1994
- UEFA Cup runner-up: 1999–2000
Individual Awards
- Premier League Player of the Month: April 1995
- UEFA European Championship Team of the Tournament: 1996
- PFA Team of the Year: 1990–91 First Division, 1996–97 Premier League
- Ballon d'Or Nominated: 1998
- Premier League 10 Seasons Awards (1992–2002):
- Domestic Team of the Decade
- Goalkeeper with most clean sheets (130)
- Most Premier League clean sheets: 1993–94, 1998–99
- English Football Hall of Fame: 2016
Images for kids
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Seaman in 2012
See also
In Spanish: David Seaman para niños
