Goalkeeping Museum

Name: Jens Martin Knudsen

National Appearances: 65 (Faroe Islands)

Height: 5ft 9.5in (1.81m)

Date of Birth: 11 June 1967, Saltangara, Faroe Islands

Biography

Jens Martin Knudsen is best known for his woolly white bobble hat. Long before Gianluigi Buffon began donning woolens and other interesting attire, Mr Knudsen was wearing his woolly white hat at the Euro ’92 tournament (and before then).

Jens Knudsen was actually forced to wear a cap from the age of fourteen due to an injury (perhaps a similar response to that which Petr Cech has taken recently re headgear), though the bobble was purely optional.

Remarkably short for an international goalkeeper, Knudsen played reasonably well at Euro 92 – see the video below for an example:

He played the bulk of his matches for the now defunct team of Gøtu Ítróttarfelag (a Faroe Island club which recently amalgamated with another to form the team Vikingur) for whom he played 105 matches between 1992 and 1997.

Knudsen would later have a short loan spell at Ayr United of the Scottish First Division, but left after starting just four matches.

He will, however, forever be remembered for that cap.