Football in general is a game of contact but sometimes depending on the match, tension may often arise especially in Derby games. So it might surely be an interesting question to ask that who were the footballers who were never booked during their careers?
All of us know that it is big time hard to play more than 20 years of football without getting booked even a single time but it might interrest you to know that there are quite many players who have achieved this.
They are 8 in number so they are only 8 footballers in history who finished their careers without ever receiving a yellow or red card.
We can also nickname them as the most gentleman footballers ever.
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Footballers who have never been booked
In the world of football, where emotions run high and tackles can be fierce, it's quite an achievement for a player to go through their entire career without receiving a single yellow or red card.
In this article, we will celebrate the remarkable discipline and sportsmanship of a select few footballers who managed to achieve this incredible feat. These players not only showcased their exceptional skill and talent but also demonstrated a high level of fair play and professionalism throughout their careers.
1. Stanley Matthews
The first soccer player on this our list of footballers who were never booked during their careers is the passed English footballer Sir Stanley Matthews who never received a yellow or red card during his long 33 years old career which lasted from the year 1932 to 19651.
During his 33 years of career, he played only for a total of 3 different clubs which are Stoke City, Blackpool and Toronto City.
What is quite remarkable about the English player is the long length of his career ( 33 years) and the fact that he never received a yellow or red card in such a long career. And also following this his long serving career, if we are to crown a footballer number on this list, it should surely be attributed to Sir Stanley Mathews due to his 33 years of career without any booking.
The English international player made a total of 857 appearances and in all these games, he actually did not receive even a single yellow or red card.
But what was his secret for this achievement? Well it is known that Sir Mathews was an intelligent player and also a quick and swift dribbler and this helped him avoiding unnecessary challenges on the pitch.
And other hand, he barely tackled his opponents and also took less part in aerial challenges from whic a player is more likely to get cards.
2. Jimmy Dickinson
Second on our list, is another passed English footballer from old times more precisely post World War II- who goes by name Jimmy Dickinson, he never got booked even once. He served only a single club during his 19 years of career and he played for the English club Portsmouth.
His career lasted from the year 1946 to the year 1965 and during this era, he made a total of 828 appearances for the English club across all competitions.
Between the years 1949 and 1956, Dickinson also played for the England national team where he made 48 appearances for them. So all together, Jimmy Dickinson made 876 appearances during his career as a footballer who is even that of our precedent Stanley Mathews.
And this his 876 appearances is higher than that of any other footballer on this list of players who have never been booked.
3. William Ralph Dean
Still a passed English footballer on our list of footballers who were never booked during their careers, William Ralph Dean who was also popularly known as Dixie Dean can also be considered as and old school footballer since he had already retired before the Second World War started.
During his career, he played for 4 different English clubs and 2 Irish clubs, his career lasted for 17 years and he made a total of 489 appearances for and scoring 425 goals for the English clubs.
William also played for the English national team where he made 16 appearances and scored 18 goals for his country between the years 1927 and 1932. So taking into consideration both club and cluntry, Dean made total of 505 appearances during his career but still he was never booked even once.
Looking at the number of goals that he scored, if you ever imagined that he is a forward, then you are right cause during his career, he actually played as a forward and he was a prolific goal scorer.
4. Gary Lineker
The next on our list, is a retired football player who is still alive and 60 years old of age. Gary Lineker is a professional English footballer who played for top European clubs during his career but still ended his career without even receiving a single yellow or red card.
During his career, he played for Barcelona, Tottenham, Everton and also Leicester City and also for the Japanese club Nagoya Grampus. His career lasted for 16 years and he made 567 club and 80 international appearances during his era and this sums up to a total of 647 appearances in general.
And during his 647 appearances, Lineker never received a yellow or even red card, In the year 1990, he recieved the FIFA Fair Play award for his gentle and fine style of play.
Gary Lineker was not a physically strong player so instead relied on his opportunism and intelligence on the pitch. Aside from that, Lineker was also a technically skilled player at deceiving defenders in order to create spaces for goal scoring chances without having to get into any close challenge with the defenders.
5. Billy Lidell
The next player on our list is a Scottish player who goes by name Billy Lidell and he is also the only Scottish player to make his way into this list.
The Scottish player also played for one club during the whole of his career, he played only for Liverpool during his 21 years career that lasted from the year 1938 to the year 1961. And during this 21 years at Liverpool, he made a total of 534 appearances and scored 228 goals or the Reds across all competitions.
Coming to International level, he also made played for the Scottish national team where he made a total of 29 appearances and scored 8 goals for the Scottish national team. And this actually makes a total of 563 overall appearances for the Billy in which he was never booked.
The Scottish player Billy Lidell was popularly known for his strong physique and powerful shots even from distance but he never allowed his strong physique to get on the ways of others as he also had a good conduct on the pitch.
Billy Lidell had such a good conduct and this influence his club to the point that Liverpool was named "Lidellpool" sometime.
6. John Charles
John Charles who features as the only Welsh footballer on our list of footballers who were never booked during their careers as footballers. The Welsh man unfortunately passed away in the year 2004 at the age 72 years, John Charles during his career played mostly for Italian and English clubs as he played for AS Roma and Juventus in Italy, then Leeds United, Hereford United, and Cardiff City in England. He aslo played for one Welsh club during his career.
His football career lasted for 25 years, from the year 1949 to 1974.
Even though John Charles played for as many as six different clubs, he is mostly referred to as a Leeds player because he served at Leeds more than any other club during his career( actually for 8 years) and he also made the most number of appearances for the club which stands at 297 appearances at League level.
In total, the Welsh player made a total of 753 appearances during his career from which 38 was at international level but he was never booked in all these his appearances.
The mind blowing fact about John Charles is that during his play time, he was very active on the pitch as he played two different roles, which is that of a defender and a forward. And this obviously means getting involved in more challenges but the player managed to finish his career without ever getting booked.
The Welsh footballer was big in size and had a tall statue to his name and he was also nicknamed the " Gentle Giant" due to his correct conduct on the pitch.
Final Thoughts on Footballers Who Were Never Booked During Their Careers
These footballers have not only left a lasting impact on the game through their exceptional skills and achievements but also serve as an inspiration for aspiring players to embrace fair play, discipline, and professionalism.
Their ability to navigate the intensity of football without ever receiving a booking is a testament to their exceptional character and dedication to the sport. They have set a remarkable example for future generations of footballers to follow.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which footballer has never been booked?
There are several footballers who have never been booked during careers. Lineker never received a yellow or red card during his career, and he also never won a top-flight league title.
Which player has no card in his career?
Not only did Gary Lineker never received a red card in his career; but he was NEVER even shown a yellow card.
Which player has never missed a penalty in his career?
Ivan Krstanović never missed a penalty in his career, as he told UEFA.com that "it's at least 30 goals" from the spot for the Croatian.