While players at the biggest clubs on the largest European stages can become superstars during the course of the European league season, it's the major international tournaments where players at smaller nations can rise to become household names.
One player who received a lot of attention at Euro 2024 is Georgia goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili, who had just finished a breakout season with Valencia and helped his national team to surprise the rest of Europe.
Playing a huge role in his nation's first-ever European Championship appearance, Mamardashvili was in the spotlight early and often as Georgia qualified to the Round of 16 as a third-place finisher in Group F. They sensationally beat Portugal in their final group match to advance, taking advantage of Portugal's mental lapse having already locked in the group's top spot.
That drew the tiny former Soviet nation a matchup against Spain in their first knockout game, and it proved a step too far. However, Mamardashvili's performances were not soon forgotten, and they earned him a transfer to Liverpool — albeit one that won't see him play for the club until at least next season.
The Reds were prepared to be patient with a player they see as a long-term successor to Alisson. So, how good is he?
MORE: Euro 2024 top goal scorers as Georgia striker Mikautadze chases Golden Boot
Who is Georgia goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili?
The 23-year-old Giorgi Mamardashvili has blossomed into one of the best goalkeepers in Europe.
Born in the Georgian capital of Tbilisi, he began his club career in the youth system of FC Gagra, but was scooped up by domestic giants Dinamo Tbilisi at the age of 12. He did not make a single appearance for Dinamo, instead being loaned out to two other domestic clubs, first at Rustavi and then Locomotive Tbilisi.
The latter of those two loan spells provided Mamardashvili with his rise to prominence, as he starred for Locomotive in a few Europa League early-round games, including as they upset Russian giants Dynamo Moscow in the second round. He won Georgian Football's Goalkeeper of the Year award that year for his efforts.
That summer, he was sent to Spanish side Valencia, initially on a one-year loan deal. He immediately won the starting job for the La Liga club at just 20 years old, and it took until just December of that year for Valencia to sign him permanently on a deal worth a bargain €850,000 ($910,600 / £720,400), signing a three-year contract through the summer of 2024, with an option for a further season.
How Mamardashvili starred at Euro 2024 for Georgia
Mamardashvili carried Georgia to the knockout stage of Euro 2024 in the nation's first-ever appearance at a major tournament.
Through the first three group games, Georgia conceded an enormous 71 shots, 16 more than any other team in the field. Those 71 efforts resulted in 25 shots on target, four more than any other side conceded in the group stage.
Despite that, Mamardashvili conceded just four goals, two of which came on stunning finishes in the opener against Turkey. It leaves Mamardashvili with a +3.58 xGOTA*/goals conceded differential, the best mark of any team in the tournament through the end of the group stage. Seven teams in Euro 2024 conceded more goals than Georgia in the group stage, despite the high volume of shots afforded.
Giorgi Mamardashvili with another big save for Georgia! 🧤🇬🇪 pic.twitter.com/CrLksLFXfL
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) June 18, 2024
* xGOTA is a post-contact value assigned to every shot on target based on shot location, shot placement, and defender positioning, which identifies the likelihood of that individual effort to result in a goal.
Mamardashvili's exceptional 2023/24 season with Valencia
While Mamardashvili announced himself to the world at Euro 2024, he had already blossomed into one of the best goalkeepers in Europe by the time the summer tournament arrived.
At Valencia for the 2023/24 season, Mamardashvili logged an incredible campaign that helped the club to a ninth-place finish in LaLiga. That followed a 2022/23 season where Valencia narrowly avoided relegation, improving by a full seven places in the table.
According to FBref.com, the 23-year-old stopper registered a 10.2 xGOTA +/- differential, which was the best of all LaLiga goalkeepers and third-best amongst players at Big 5 European clubs, just slightly behind both Michele Di Gregorio of Monza and Gianluigi Donnarumma of PSG.
When will Mamardashvili play for Liverpool?
Coming off season such as his, a player will always find himself in the spotlight come the transfer window, and that was exactly the case for Mamardashvili this summer.
He told the media before Euro 2024 began that he was "very close" to a move to Bayern Munich last summer, but in the end the German side turned down the chance to clear Valencia's financial threshold, which was the same €35 million as was being reported for transfers this summer.
In the end, Liverpool struck a deal for roughly that figure: they reportedly paid €30m up front agreed to a potential further €5m in add-ons. However, he will not turn out for the Reds until at least 2025/26.
As part of the transfer, Liverpool agreed to loan Mamardashvili back to Valencia for the 2024/25 season, where he remains their No. 1.
