Costel Pantilimon
Pantilimon with Romania, June 2014
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Costel Fane Pantilimon | ||
| Date of birth | 1 February 1987 | ||
| Place of birth | Bacău, Romania | ||
| Height | 2.03 m (6 ft 8 in) | ||
| Playing position | Goalkeeper | ||
| Club information | |||
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Current team
|
Watford | ||
| Number | 30 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Aerostar Bacău | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2003–2012 | Politehnica Timișoara | 115 | (0) |
| 2011–2012 | → Manchester City (loan) | 0 | (0) |
| 2012–2014 | Manchester City | 7 | (0) |
| 2014–2016 | Sunderland | 45 | (0) |
| 2016– | Watford | 2 | (0) |
| National team‡ | |||
| 2003–2004 | Romania U17 | 5 | (0) |
| 2005 | Romania U19 | 3 | (0) |
| 2006–2008 | Romania U21 | 12 | (0) |
| 2008– | Romania | 24 | (0) |
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 16 January 2017. ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 15 November 2016 |
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Costel Fane Pantilimon (born 1 February 1987) is a Romanian professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for English club Watford and the Romania national team. At six foot, eight inches (203 cm) tall, he is currently the tallest player in the Premier League.
He began his career at Politehnica Timișoara, becoming their first-choice goalkeeper. In 2011, he signed for Manchester City, initially on loan, as back-up for Joe Hart. Pantilimon was first choice for City in the 2013–14 League Cup, which they went on to win. He then remained in the Premier League with Sunderland, spending one-and-a-half seasons there before a transfer to Watford in 2016. He has been a full international for Romania since 2008.
Born in Bacău, Pantilimon started his career at Aerostar Bacău and got his share of limelight at the Romania national under-19 team before transferring to Politehnica Timișoara on 1 February 2006, his 19th birthday.
Initially, Pantilimon was Timișoara's second-choice goalkeeper, behind Marius Popa. In May 2008, however, the owner of the club, Marian Iancu, transferred Popa to the second team, and Pantilimon took the pole position. He made his debut in the Romanian Liga 1 against Dinamo București, in March 2007.
In a match against Ceahlăul on 17 October 2009, Pantilimon captained the team for the first time, since Dan Alexa, Gigel Bucur and Arman Karamyan and his brother Artavazd were all on the bench.
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