Consistency is usually the number one yardstick by which to measure a ‘keeper.

Take David James. He was a fantastic goalkeeper who could – on his day – be the best in the country if not the world. The trouble was that he made too many mistakes. He simply wasn’t reliable.

Clubs typically look to more experienced keepers for precisely this reason. Their reading of the game, and therefore room for misjudgement, tends to come with age. However, there’s been something of a change in recent years.

Both Manchester United and Chelsea are among the clubs to have eschewed older, more experienced stoppers who – in the short term at least – would provide them with significantly greater consistency. They have done so, accepting the initial cost, to allow younger and ultimately more talented goalkeepers to settle at a much earlier age than usual.

When David de Gea arrived in England, he made rick after mistake after howler. £18.9m? A quality bit of journalism in the Daily Express wrote him off after just two games! Yet United stuck with him, and he has rewarded them by turning in performances which have earned him their player of the season award for the last three seasons on the bounce.

Chelsea have also stuck by Courtois, to the point where they were prepared to discard their most successful ‘keeper ever, in order to hold onto the Belgian. For both clubs, the youth policy is now paying dividends. They have on their books a world class ‘keeper who still has a good decade at the top level ahead of them. The dream scenario.

Meanwhile, Arsenal shipped off their own young and inconsistent stopper to play in Italy.

To say I was disappointed is an understatement.