Who is Guglielmo Vicario? Spurs goalkeeper’s career, nickname, and value explained

Tottenham Hotspur’s latest first-choice goalkeeper is quite the character both on and off the field, so here’s all you need to know about Guglielmo Vicario, including his Venom nickname and where Spurs found him in the first place.

One of the first tasks facing Ange Postecoglou when he took over at Tottenham last summer was to find a new number one keeper to replace Hugo Lloris between the sticks.

Spurs appeared to be close to signing David Raya at the time, but that fell through and the Spaniard ended up at Arsenal. Instead, Tottenham opted to sign Guglielmo Vicario, and the Italian has largely proven to be a shrewd signing.

He is not without his flaws, though, particularly when it comes to commanding his area. However, one could never question Vicario’s commitment and passion, and he’s endeared himself to the Lilywhites faithful as a result.

So, who is this crazy keeper? Let’s take a look at Guglielmo Vicario’s career, his blossoming international involvement with Italy, and why he’s been likened to a Spider-Man villain.

Where did Spurs find Guglielmo Vicario?

Guglielmo Vicario has played for a number of clubs in his native Italy, but Spurs signed him from Empoli.

Going back to the beginning of his career, Vicario started out in the Udinese youth setup before spending time on loan at Fontanafredda and Venezia (yes, the team who have the incredible kits every year).

After joining Venezia permanently in 2016, Vicario moved on to Cagliari three years later. He would then enjoy loan spells at Perugia and Empoli, before making the switch to the later on a permanent basis in 2022.

He registered the best numbers at Venezia, conceding just 92 goals in 89 games and keeping a massive 28 clean sheets. At Empoli, he played 71 games, conceding 113 goals and keeping 14 clean sheets (Transfermarkt).

He would ultimately become one of Serie A’s most highly-rated goalkeepers, particularly outside of the big clubs in the league.

Guglielmo Vicario is Tottenham’s number one

Spurs signed Vicario from Empoli for roughly £17m, and he immediately became the club’s new number one goalkeeper, replacing former club captain Hugo Lloris and hasn’t looked back since.

He has impressed since arriving in the Premier League, especially when it comes to his shot-stopping ability and his general ability to play out from the back.

In the second half of last season, teams began to exploit an apparent weakness in Vicario’s game, though; he struggles to deal with physicality from set-pieces. A number of teams and players in particular targeted Vicario when lining up in the box for free-kicks and corners, blocking the keeper and allowing their team to score more easily.

This seeming inability to command his area has been cited as a considerable flaw and something that Vicario needs to fix quickly, or risk being cast aside in the future if Postecoglou decides to sign another goalkeeper to compete with him with the Spurs first-team squad.

Still, the Spurs fans love Vicario, largely because of how much he loves the club and wears his heart on his sleeve. Speaking to The Guardian about his move to Tottenham, Vicario said: “I said that I would have walked here if needed and signed in my own blood. It was my way of saying that it was an opportunity I couldn’t miss.

“So I was ready to come from Italy to the UK walking. Or running. And if I had no pen or anything, I would have signed in blood, cutting myself and signing with my own blood.”

Vicario is a highly-respected member of the squad and Postecoglou even made him part of his leadership group last season. He is technically the club’s fourth-choice captain, behind Heung-min Son, Cristian Romero, and James Maddison.

How much is Guglielmo Vicario worth?

Tottenham could make a tidy profit on Vicario if they were to sell him now, as it is thought he is worth roughly £30m in today’s market compared to the £17m they paid to sign him.

That’s according to data from Transfermarkt, who put Vicario’s price tag at €35m. Considering Vicario still has maybe seven years at the top of his game as a goalkeeper, and is on a big contract with Spurs, that valuation makes sense.

Speaking of contracts, Spotrac suggest Vicario is paid £3.9m a year or £75,000 per week at Tottenham. His current contract comes to an end in 2028.

Guglielmo Vicario’s Venom nickname explained

Guglielmo Vicario’s nickname, Venom, originated due to the player’s tendancy to get a little angry on the pitch, matching the wild energy of the comic book character.

Discussing how the nickname came about (via The Sun), Vicario said: “It was made by two guys from [broadcaster] DAZN in Italy. They told me: ‘When you play on the pitch sometimes you get angry, you feel angry, so you feel like Venom’. Also Venom starts with V, Vicario starts with V.

“I shout, maybe. My facial expression can change in some critical moments of the game. I hope to do this not many times, because I think we have a big squad, so I trust in my lads.”

We have seen Vicario lose his cool a little on a few occasions already. Most recently, the Italian gave young Lucas Bergvall a telling off during the draw against Leicester at the start of the season, when the Swedish starlet gave the ball away near his own box.

Italy are starting to notice Vicario

Vicario doesn’t have much of an international career to speak of yet, but he did make his debut for Italy earlier this year and now has two caps to his name.

It should come as no surprise that he’s had to wait for his chance at international level. For a start, Vicario had been plying his trade in the lower leagues in Italy for most of his career, and only played in Serie A for the first time in 2021.

Then, of course, there is the matter of Gianluigi Donnarumma, Italy’s number one and one of the best keepers in the world. The PSG stopper is the national team captain, so Vicario is only likely to get chances in friendlies or when Donnarumma is not fit.

Still, Vicario played the full 90 minutes of the two friendlies against Ecuador and Turkey this year, keeping a clean sheet in both games. He also went to Euro 2024 with his country but failed to make an appearance.

Gugliemo Vicario’s height, weight, and family

Like most goalkeepers, Guglielmo Vicario is tall: He stands at 1.94m in height. He’s pretty skinny, though, weighing just 83kg, which is rather lean for someone so tall.

He was born on October 7, 1996, in Udine, Italy.

Vicario is very close with his mother and father. The pair have visited the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium a number of times, with Vicario sharing on Instagram how proud he is to have them there to watch him play.

Trophies and awards

Vicario has just one trophy to his name: The Italian third-division title he won with Venezia in 2016/17.

On a personal level, Vicario was named Goalkeeper of the Year in the London Football Awards for 2023/24.

He will be hoping to add to his trophy cabinet while at Spurs and secure some major honours for himself and for the club.

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