5 nominees for World's Best Goalkeeper award announced

Joe Hart has been nominated as one of the world's five best goalkeepers and is in the running to be named the best in the world.

Along with Chelsea's Petr Cech, Hart has formidable rivals for the honour with Gianlugi Buffon, Iker Casillas and Manuel Neuer also nominated by their peers.

Hart has been labelled world class in recent months, although outspoken TV pundit and Manchester United legend Roy Keane accused him of being cocky and believes his form has dipped lately.

Hart has been listed on the short-list for the FIFA FIFPro World XI of 2012, with one of the five nominees set to be presented as the goalkeeper of the year during the FIFA Ballon d'Or Gala on Monday 7 January 2013. This year, FIFA and FIFPro will be announcing the 55 nominated players on the shortlist for the World XI in four stages:

1. On Monday 19 November: the 5 nominated keepers

2. On Thursday 22 November: the 20 nominated defenders

3. On Monday 26 November: the 15 nominated midfielders

4. On Thursday 29 November: the 15 nominated attackers

This is the first time Hart has been nominated on the shortlist after he made a big impression during Manchester City's championship winning campaign and in goals for England.

Neuer has earned his second nomination, while Cech, a Champions League winner with Chelsea, racks up his sixth nomination, although he has not yet succeeded in gaining a World XI Award.

Buffon and Casillas have both received the prestigious award, with Buffon taking the award in 2006 and 2007 and Casillas receiving the award in the last four years.

FIFPro is organising the election of the World XI for the eighth successive year. Since 2009, the worldwide trade union for professional football players has organised the awards in close collaboration with FIFA. This autumn, FIFPro sent out 45,000 voting ballots to all affiliated players unions, who in turn distributed the forms among the players.

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Source: ESPN