Peter Shilton vs Edgar Davids: Stats Compared
Goalkeeper, England (born 1949, retired 1997) · Defensive Midfielder, Netherlands (born 1973, retired 2011)
There is something timeless about weighing Peter Shilton against Edgar Davids. They occupied different roles, which makes a like-for-like verdict a careful exercise. Peter Shilton finishes with 1 career goals from 1005 games — a 0.00 strike rate — against Edgar Davids's 45 from 600 at 0.08 per match. Assists were not reliably tracked for much of their careers, which makes the playmaking comparison an imperfect one; where records exist, Peter Shilton is credited with 0 and Edgar Davids with 40. The honours ledger favours Peter Shilton with 4 major trophies (2× European Cup (1979, 1980)) against Edgar Davids's 4 (1× UEFA Champions League (1995)). As a goalkeeper Peter Shilton bent the role to a authoritative template; as a defensive midfielder, Edgar Davids redefined it with dictatorial authority. Context beyond the headline totals is important: Peter Shilton's landmark level arrived around 1980 with a career spanning Leicester City, Stoke City, Nottingham Forest, Southampton, Derby County, Plymouth Argyle, Wimbledon, Leyton Orient; Edgar Davids's came around 2000 across Ajax, AC Milan, Juventus, Barcelona, Internazionale, Tottenham Hotspur, Ajax, Crystal Palace. Each, in his own way, set a standard the other is measured against.
190 words · comparison angle: role
Player profiles
The most-capped England player in history with 125 caps, Shilton set an English record of 1,005 league appearances and won back-to-back European Cups with Nottingham Forest.
“A commanding, remarkably consistent shot-stopper whose positioning and reflexes made him one of the most reliable goalkeepers of his generation.”
Nicknamed 'The Pitbull' for his relentless tackling, Davids wore his trademark wraparound goggles and was one of the most feared ball-winners in Europe during Juventus's late-1990s dominance.
“An aggressive, tireless ball-winner whose combativeness and surprising technical quality made him a complete midfield destroyer.”
Head-to-head stats
Career goals by season
Representative career seasons — goals per season for each player across their documented clubs.
Attribute radar
Attribute ratings are peak-era, 0–100. Different positions naturally skew the profile.
Attribute comparison
Trophy breakdown
- 2× European Cup (1979, 1980)
- 1× English First Division (1978)
- 1× League Cup (1979)
- 1× UEFA Champions League (1995)
- 3× Serie A (1998, 2002, 2003)
Trophy distribution
Career milestones
- 1966 Professional debut for Leicester City
- 1979 Won European Cup with Nottingham Forest
- 1979 Won League Cup with Nottingham Forest
- 1980 Reached the peak of his powers at Nottingham Forest
- 1997 Retired after a final spell at Leyton Orient
- Finished his career with 1 goals in 1005 appearances and 4 major honours. Finished his career with 1 goals in 1005 appearances and 4 major honours.
- 1991 Professional debut for Ajax
- 1995 Won UEFA Champions League with Ajax
- 1998 Won Serie A with Juventus
- 2000 Reached the peak of his powers at Juventus
- 2011 Retired after a final spell at Crystal Palace
- Finished his career with 45 goals in 600 appearances and 4 major honours. Finished his career with 45 goals in 600 appearances and 4 major honours.
The verdict
If forced to pick, Edgar Davids is the choice: a clear margin, with a sharper goalscoring record the deciding factor.
Edgar Davids edges it (a clear margin)
