For those who follow Serie A, Gianluigi Donnarumma has already become a household name, and even more impressive is the fact that he only just celebrated his 17th birthday on Thursday, February 25th. Yes, that's correct: he is not even old enough to drive in his native Italy, but has become the starting shot-stopper at AC Milan this season, which, despite their struggles as of late, is a team still regarded as one of the biggest in Italy and across Europe.
Meanwhile, for those who do not know anything about calcio, his name has been repeatedly linked with English powerhouses such as Manchester United and Liverpool, so obviously other major teams have been taking notice of the former Rossoneri youth product, who wears the number "99" on his kit as a testament to his year of birth. For Diavolo fans, Donnarumma first gained attention after he was promoted by current coach Siniša Mihajlović to the first team earlier this season, and he made his competitive debut last summer during the ICC Cup in China after coming on as a sub for Diego Lopez.
Earlier this season, Serie A fans witnessed a bit of history when he became the youngest ever goalkeeper to start a game in Italian football's top flight. On October 25th, Donnarumma took over the starting position between the posts at the age of 16 years and 8 months after Mihajlović opted to feature him in a 2-1 win over Sassuolo. And since taking over after Diego Lopez failed to impress the Serbian tactician, he has not conceded the no. 1 spot since.
Italian football fans are surely aware of his talents that are way beyond his years, and will remember the fascinating match-up between the rookie and "another" Gianluigi when Donnarumma faced off against his idol Gigi Buffon in an entertaining clash with Juventus back in November. And if he continues in this same vein of form, the future of the no. 1 spot for the Azzurri is looking quite bright. But how does this young lad compare to Buffon - widely regarded as one of the best in the business - and others around Europe? Let's have a look.
The "two" Gianluigis: How Donnarumma stacks up against Buffon
Buffon, shown here embracing his namesake after Juventus narrowly edged out Milan 1-0 last November. At that time, Buffon was 37, whilst Donnarumma was 16, making him over double his opponent's age - or old enough to be his father!
As per Squawka, Donnarumma has started in 18 matches for Milan. Over that period of time, he has made 42 saves, whilst keeping six clean sheets. By contrast, Buffon has made 25 starts for Juventus, and has kept 14 clean sheets. However, here's where things get interesting: Donnarumma has made eight more saves than Buffon's 34.
If you are surprised, well, you should not be. A look at the table reveals why: for starters, Juventus have the best defense in Serie A, having conceded just 15 goals this season, and being protected by the likes of Leonardo Bonucci, Giorgio Chiellini, and Andrea Barzagli certainly makes Buffon's job much more easier. Donnarumma, on the other hand, does not have one of the strongest defensive trios in Europe in front of him, and as such, the youngster oftentimes has been the decisive factor between a loss and a draw, or a draw and a win for the Rososneri this season.
Finally, another fascinating stat: despite making fewer appearances than his role model, Donnarumma and Buffon have conceded the exact same number of goals - 14.
Italy's future no. 1 versus Germany's established no. 1: Donnarumma vs. Neuer
If he can continue on this same trajectory, do not be surprised to see Donnarumma someday possibly facing off against Germany and Bayern Munich's star shot-stopper, Manuel Neuer. The 29-year-old, who won both a Champions League trophy and World Cup title in successive seasons, has been praised by Buffon and others as one of the top shot-stoppers in world football today, and has deservedly received a plethora of awards, including the Golden Glove for his excellent performance during the 2014 World Cup and finished third in the Ballon d'Or nominations two years ago.
Neuer was hoping to become the first goalkeeper to win a Ballon d'Or prize since the Russian legend Lev Yashin won it in 1963 but ultimately finished third in 2014
Let's take a look, again, courtesy of Squawka, how Neuer and Donnarumma compare. The German star has made 22 appearances for Pep Guardiola's side this season, and has managed to keep a clean sheet on 13 occcasions. Having conceded just 11 goals, his record betters that of both Buffon and Donnarumma's 14, but like Buffon, Neuer can also count on a world-class defense in front of him comprised of national teammates like Jerome Boateng and Philipp Lahm.
And in terms of saves? Neuer has had to make a total of 23, which again, pales in comparison to the 42 Donnarumma has had to pull off in order to keep an opponent from scoring.
Two icons in the making: Donnarumma takes on David de Gea
Like Donnarumma, David de Gea was born in the 1990's. And like the young Italian, de Gea is widely regarded as the next no. 1 man for his country for the future. Many in Spain have been already calling for the Manchester United man to replace the rapidly-declining Iker Casillas between the posts for the upcoming EURO tournament and beyond, and perhaps La Furia Roja boss Vicente del Bosque will keep this in mind as Spain hope to avoid a repeat of their embarrassing performance from the 2014 World Cup.
Will fans see David de Gea in between the sticks for Spain at this summer's EURO tournament? They will surely be hoping so...
Although the Red Devils have struggled this season, de Gea has been arguably one of their most consistent and excellent performers. And like Donnarumma's Milan, the 25-year-old Spaniard has had to come up big time and time again when he has been left down by some dodgy defending from the men in front of him, with his showings making the huge difference for Louis Van Gaal's floundering side this campaign.
Before being struck down by an unfortunate injury, de Gea had made 22 appearances for the English giants, the same as Neuer, but four more than Donnarumma. During that time-frame, he managed to keep nine clean sheets - more than the young Italian - but conceded more goals, with 22 versus the Rossoneri shot-stopper's 14.
However, when one takes a look at saves, this is where de Gea out shines not just the lanky17-year-old, but Buffon and Neuer as well; with a whopping 54, the former Atletico Madrid man has made just three less than Buffon and Neuer combined, and 12 more than Donnarumma's 42.
How Donnarumma compares against more of Europe's stars, including Cech, Bravo, and Keylor Navas
So far, we've taken a look at three of Europe's top shot-stoppers. Here's a look how Donnarumma compares against icons like Arsenal's Petr Cech, Barcelona's Claudio Bravo, who won the prestigious Zamora Trophy in his debut season with the Blaugrana as well, as, of course, a Treble, and Keylor Navas, who was instrumental in Costa Rica making an impressive run to the quarter-finals at the 2014 World Cup.
Donnarumma versus Cech, Bravo, and Navas in terms of clean sheets, saves, and goals conceded as of February 26th
So is Gianluigi Donnarumma "the next big thing"? Have a look at these stats and decide for yourself.
