Peter Shilton vs Dejan Savićević: Stats Compared
Goalkeeper, England (born 1949, retired 1997) · Attacking Midfielder, Yugoslavia (born 1966, retired 2001)
Peter Shilton against Dejan Savićević is the kind of comparison that fuels pub arguments for hours. They occupied different roles, which makes a like-for-like verdict a careful exercise. On production alone, Peter Shilton posted 1 goals across 1005 appearances while Dejan Savićević managed 110 across 450. 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 Dejan Savićević with 70. Trophy counts give Peter Shilton 4 and Dejan Savićević 5, with 2× European Cup (1979, 1980) and 1× European Cup (1991) the standout honours respectively. The goalkeeper duties of Peter Shilton leaned imposing; the attacking midfielder responsibilities of Dejan Savićević leaned incisive. Club journeys add another layer, with Peter Shilton reaching his representative peak around 1980 across Leicester City, Stoke City, Nottingham Forest, Southampton, Derby County, Plymouth Argyle, Wimbledon, Leyton Orient and Dejan Savićević doing so around 1994 with Budućnost Podgorica, Red Star Belgrade, AC Milan, Rapid Wien. Rank them how you like — both names are carved into the sport's permanent record.
181 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 Genius', Savićević was a mesmerising Montenegrin playmaker whose iconic lobbed goal in the 1994 Champions League final capped AC Milan's most dominant era.
“An audacious, unpredictable dribbler whose flair and outrageous invention made him one of the most watchable players of his generation.”
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× European Cup (1991)
- 3× Serie A (1993, 1994, 1996)
- 1× UEFA Champions League (1994)
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.
- 1982 Professional debut for Budućnost Podgorica
- 1991 Won European Cup with Red Star Belgrade
- 1994 Won UEFA Champions League with AC Milan
- 1994 Reached the peak of his powers at AC Milan
- 2001 Retired after a final spell at Rapid Wien
- Finished his career with 110 goals in 450 appearances and 5 major honours. Finished his career with 110 goals in 450 appearances and 5 major honours.
The verdict
On balance Dejan Savićević edges the comparison. The margin is a narrow margin, decided mostly by a sharper goalscoring record.
Dejan Savićević edges it (a narrow margin)
