Ian Wright has paid tribute to ‘inspirational’ Edouard Mendy after the Chelsea goalkeeper’s remarkable rise was recognised by FIFA . On Monday, the Senegal shot-stopper won the Best Fifa men’s goalkeeper award following a brilliant first season at Stamford Bridge, in which he kept a clean sheet in the Champions League final win over Manchester City .
Mendy also helped Chelsea reach the FA Cup final and secure a top-four finish after displacing Kepa Arrizabalaga as the club’s first-choice goalkeeper. The 29-year-old’s development is even more impressive given he almost walked away from the sport in 2016 as he was not able to find a new club. A lack of options also saw Mendy queue at a local job centre in Normandy just six years ago, with his hopes of making it as a professional footballer appearing bleak.
But Mendy is now rated as one of the best goalkeepers in the world and former Arsenal and England striker Wright says his story is ‘unbelievable’ and ‘inspirational’. ‘Let’s talk about Mendy getting best the goalkeeper in the world [award],’ Wright said on his Ringer FC podcast .
‘Did you see the celebrations when the guys were clapping him in the Senegal camp? ‘What it means to those players, his country, for him to get the best goalkeeper in the world… I’m not sure people understand what that means to an African player. ‘You look at where he was six years ago and where he is now and what’s happened. The inspiration that will give to not only goalkeepers in Africa, but goalkeepers in general everywhere.
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