Why Portsmouth's ex-Burnley and Wolves man is leading the goalkeeping charts in England's top-five divisions

Pompey sit proudly at League One’s summit - and their impressive goalkeeper is topping the clean sheet charts.

Nobody in the top five English divisions has achieved more shut-outs than Will Norris this season.

The Blues’ last line of defence has racked up 16 clean sheets in 35 league matches so far. That represents shut-outs in 46.9 per cent of his Pompey League One outings since arriving from Burnley.

Norris’ latest arrived in Saturday’s goalless draw at Charlton, leaving the former Peterborough man unequalled by peers from the Premier League down to the National League.

His closest rivals are Championship pair Leeds’ Illan Meslier (15 in 32 games) and West Brom’s Alex Palmer (15 in 34), while runaway leaders Leicester City’s keeper - Mads Hermansen - has 11 in 33 outings.

In terms of Norris’ fellow League One keepers, Lukas Jensen (Lincoln) has 13 in 34 matches, while Derby stopper Joe Wildsmith totals 12 from 28 appearances.

Meanwhile, Christy Pym (Mansfield) and Ben Hinchliffe (Stockport) in League Two have both registered 12 clean sheets, with Jake Turner (Gillingham) narrowly behind on 11.

With the Premier League playing fewer league fixtures, the comparison is not as straightforward, nonetheless their leading figures are Manchester City’s Ederson (nine in 25 games), Arsenal’s David Reya (eight in 21) and Everton and England’s Jordan Pickford (eight in 26)

Finally, the National League have three goalkeepers who have each registered 10 clean sheets from 35 outings - Sam Johnson (FC Halifax), Christian Dibble (Kidderminster) and Craig Ross (Maidenhead).

Indeed, the only player in National League North and South that betters Norris’ record is Tamworth’s Jaz Singh, with 21 in 35 fixtures, having conceded just 18 league goals all season.

When comparing Norris figures to those of recent Pompey keepers, he has already matched Gavin Bazunu’s tally of 16 in 2021-22.

Craig MacGillivray posted 12 clean sheets in 2018-19 and 15 in 2020-21, while he and Alex Bass effectively shared duties in 2019-20, totalling 13 between them.

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With Luke McGee as Kenny Jackett’s number one in 2017-18, the former Spurs man recorded 13 in 44 outings.

Yet Norris still has a little way to go to match David Forde - an ever-present in the Blues’ goal during their 2016-17 League Two title success.

He amassed 19 in 46 appearances during a season-long loan from Millwall as Paul Cook’s men were crowned champions in May 2017.

Yet with 11 League One games remaining, the talented Norris could well surpass that eye-catching accomplishment.