Did you know that the third highest scoring goalkeeper in the history of football was born in Peru? This is Johnny Vegas, the well-known national goalkeeper who played for several teams in the local tournament, such as Sporting Cristal or Cienciano. He is only surpassed in the number of goals by the legendary José Chilavert (Paraguay) and Rogério Ceni (Brazil).
His last club was La Bocana in 2017. This year he played in the second football league. He then retired from professional sports competitions. But what are you doing right now? We'll tell you.
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Career of Johnny Vegas, the third highest scoring goalkeeper in history
Johnny Martín Vegas Fernández comes from Huancayo and has left an important mark on Peruvian football. He began his career at the age of 21 with Sport Boys del Callao. He soon distinguished himself between the sticks not only for his ability to stop balls, but also for his skill in the air in set-piece situations.
Between 1995 and 2003 he wore the Sport Boys jersey. He defended the team's goal for almost eight years before moving to other prominent clubs such as Unión Huaral, Melgar, Sporting Cristal, Alianza Atlético and Unión Comercio, among others. He was also selected nationally for the Bicolor. This trip allowed him to establish himself as a reference in Peruvian football.
Johnny Vegas played for Sport Boys del Callao for several years. Photo: Johnny Vegas/Instagram
Although Vegas, popularly known as “Chilavegas,” did not emigrate abroad, his annotations gained international recognition. He was ranked as the best player in a 2012 ranking by the International Federation of Football History and Statistics (IFFHS). third highest goalkeeper in the worldwith 45 goals in his career.
The IFFHS ranking placed Vegas alongside icons such as José Luis Chilavert, Jorge Campos, René Higuita and Rogério Ceni. This recognition highlights his abilities as a goalkeeper and goalscorer.
Johnny Vegas serves as the goalkeeping coach for the FPF minor divisions. Photo: LR-Komposition/Johnny Vegas/Instagram
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What happened to Johnny Vegas?
Despite JohnnyVegas He hung up his gloves as a goalkeeper and is still involved in the sport. According to his official Instagram account, he works as a professional goalkeeper coach in the Minor Technical Unit of the Peruvian Football Federation (FPF).
He is also still active as a goalkeeper, but only in the amateur sector. This is confirmed by the images that he usually shares on his social networks, showing his appearances in the local press and the meetings that he occasionally plays.