Forward players may steal most of the limelight in the Premier League, but a goalkeeper can be just as important to a team's success, and so it has proved over the past decade.

It is said that attacks win games but defences win championships, and the keeper is the last line of defence in a position arguably more scrutinised than any other on the pitch given how costly mistakes can be.

The position has evolved over the course of the past 10 years so that merely keeping the ball out is no longer enough for the top teams, with goalkeepers also expected to play their part in passing moves.

An increase in demand for those who can do both has been mirrored in the growing price of keepers in recent years, and here Sports Mole chooses its top five from the Premier League over the past decade.

5. Ederson (Manchester City)

Narrowly edging out compatriot Alisson Becker courtesy of the extra year of Premier League experience under his belt, Ederson has helped to revolutionise the goalkeeping position in England. The Brazilian's ability on the ball has been compared to that of a midfielder, and his distribution from the back, both long and short, has played a major role in Man City's dominance over the past two seasons.

Ederson missed only two games during City's title-winning campaigns in 2017-18 and 2018-19, and he even managed to beat Golden Glove winner Alisson to a place in the PFA Team of the Year for the latter. There were many who felt that he deserved the same accolade for his role in City's 100-point season too.

4. Hugo Lloris (Tottenham Hotspur)

A near-constant presence in the Tottenham goal since arriving from Lyon in 2012, the Spur skipper has been the foundation from which the club have been able to transform themselves from Europa League regulars into Champions League finalists and Premier League title contenders towards the end of the decade.

The Frenchman, who also led his country to World Cup glory in 2018, has made almost 250 Premier League appearances during his time in England and, while silverware has so far eluded him - in terms of individual awards as well as team prizes - he has always been regarded as one of the division's best shot-stoppers.

3. Joe Hart (Manchester City, Birmingham City, West Ham United, Burnley)

Joe Hart was quickly and rather unceremoniously disposed of when Pep Guardiola arrived at Man City, but it should not be forgotten just how big a role he played in the club's success over the course of the decade.

Hart actually began 2010 on loan at Birmingham City, where his performances saw him voted into the PFA Team of the Year. Man City quickly restored him as their number one after that, and he was an ever-present for the next three campaigns, including the 2011-12 season which ended with City winning the title for the first time in 44 years and Hart again being named in the Team of the Year.

The former England first choice was also a key member of the side which regained the title in 2013-14, and he won the Golden Glove award on four separate occasions - more than any other keeper over the course of the decade. Hart's star has faded since leaving Man City and he is currently a back-up keeper at Burnley, having also spent time on loan at West Ham United.

2. Petr Cech (Chelsea, Arsenal)

Arguably the Premier League's greatest ever goalkeeper, Petr Cech's Premier League success was split fairly evenly between decades. The only keeper alongside Hart to have won the Golden Gloves four times, three of those awards came in the 2010s, with the last coming 11 years after he first scooped the prize.

Cech was an Arsenal player by then, but his glory years came at Chelsea, where he won two Premier League titles and was named in the PFA Team of the Year once during the past decade. The Czech Republic international hung up his gloves at the end of last season having kept a Premier League record 202 clean sheets.

1. David de Gea (Manchester United)

One of only a handful of goalkeepers who might be able to challenge Cech for the title of the Premier League's greatest ever, David de Gea has undoubtedly been the standout of this decade. Since joining Manchester United in 2011 he has established himself as one of the world's best in his position, and without him the Red Devils may have suffered a much greater slump than the one they have endured since Sir Alex Ferguson's retirement.

De Gea only has one top-flight title to show for his efforts - a tally which pales in comparison to most United stalwarts from the Premier League era - but his performances have still been recognised with five inclusions in the PFA Team of the Year, more than any other player over the course of the 2010s.

The Spaniard was named United's Player of the Year four times in the space of five years - a remarkable feat for a goalkeeper - and has also won Match of the Day's Save of the Season award five times, including one stop in 2017-18 which helped him to his first Golden Gloves prize.