Goalkeeper John Ruddy actually had a trial at Manchester United in November 2004 before signing with Everton in the summer of 2005. The Blues initially paid £250,000 to Cambridge United for the youngster, with that fee set to rise depending on appearances. At the time, many people considered it a coup; with several stories claiming the club had beaten a few of the bigger teams to his signature. Unfortunately, he would only ever make one appearance for Everton, spending most of his time at the club out on loan to sides such as Walsall, Rushden and Diamonds, Chester City and Motherwell, among many others. By the time he was 21, he had already played for eight different clubs. In 2010, Everton decided to sell up, with Norwich his preferred destination. Ever since he has firmly established himself as the Canaries number one keeper, helping them to promotion to the Premier League in his first season at the club. To date he has made 137 appearances for the Norfolk side since joining in 2010, with most of those coming in the Premier League. Despite some torrid performances, most notably against Liverpool and Luis Suarez, he is widely recognised as a solid and reliable keeper. He has even gone on to gain an England cap, keeping a clean sheet against Switzerland in 2012 and was the subject of two failed bids by Jose Mourinho and Chelsea last summer, which hints at the reputation he has built since leaving Goodison Park in 2010.
