Diogo Costa: The Present and Future of Portugal's Goalkeeper Position

There are few goalkeepers who at the age of 22 - start for their nation, hold the number 1 spot at their boyhood club, experience Champions League football and win five domestic trophies. There are few goalkeepers like the present and future of Porto and Portugal, Diogo Meireles da Costa. 

Diogo Costa is unarguably one of the brightest goalkeeping prospects in world football and has attracted interest most notably from the likes of Barcelona and Newcastle recently. Here is the lowdown on the promising shot-stopper.

The now 22-year-old stands at 6ft4in tall and wears the number 99 initially made iconic by Vitor Baia, but it all started out in 2009, at CB Povoa Lanhoso of the Braga district, a small amateur youth side.

Costa would join the Porto youth ranks in 2011, accelerating his development drastically, and becoming a prospect to look out for from an early age. Comparisons and aspirations to pick up from the aforementioned Baia, Iker Casillas and the man he would replace, Agustin Marchesin would scare Diogo Costa in no way.