Barthez still a beacon to Pilgrim with safe hands

Barely a third of the season has been played and yet Romain Larrieu has already achieved one particular feat on seven more occasions than the world's most famous goalkeeper. By securing 12 clean sheets so far, Plymouth Argyle's shot-stopper has become the country's best No 1.

The Frenchman's over-enthusiastic fans even go so far as to suggest that, were he not playing for the leaders of the humble Third Division, Larrieu might be pushing for the international position of his eccentric compatriot Fabien Barthez.

Well, perhaps not. Barthez's recent clowning around may have highlighted Larrieu's serious consistency, but most agree that Man-chester United's goalkeeper remains "la référence". Larrieu certainly does. Now 25, he still vividly recalls the one time when he shook Barthez's hand, before a league match in France. According to Larrieu, not much about the man has changed since. "Except, perhaps, that he had more hair back then," he jokes.

"No, seriously, Fabien is la référence for most keepers. Not for me, because we are so different in shape and operate on totally different levels, but for all the other top-quality goalies. For someone like me, Fabien is simply an inspiration."

Larrieu is being typically modest. No matter what division he plays in, his record of having let in just 17 goals in 25 competitive matches this season is an impressive one.

Barthez, for his part, has conceded 30 in 19 games, while even the Premiership's meanest keeper, Nigel Martyn, has picked the ball out of his net no fewer than 17 times during his 20 club appearances.

Larrieu, though, remains uncharacteristically unbendable on the Barthez issue. "Fabien is the best keeper without the best defence," the former Montpellier and Valence player explains. "I have the best defence but am not the best keeper." He adds: "Fabien is going through one of those phases that every keeper experiences. We are the last line of defence, so the only thing that can stop the ball after us is the net. As a keeper, that can be a depressing thought. There is nowhere to hide. Fabien is clearly having a tricky patch, but he will bounce back – he always does."

Larrieu and Barthez are from the south-west of France, the heartland of rugby union. Both their fathers played the sport at a competitive level, although the former's dad was also an international basketball player. Larrieu tried his hand at all ball games when he was young, but none grabbed him more than football. "I love the intensity that it generates," he says, "particularly in England, where the fans are so close to the pitch and sing all afternoon. I've always followed English football. The style of play suits my game and I feel perfectly settled in Devon."

Even before he arrived in the south-west this time last year, Larrieu was no stranger to Plymouth. As a child in Mont-de-Marsan, he studied English culture through a set of educational videos based around a family from Plymouth. "Moving here was like coming to a home from home in a sense," Larrieu says. "It was strange visiting all the places I had seen as a kid. It was all very vivid."

So is the language. "I had learnt a bit of English at school," he says, "but it has not proved all that useful in a football environment. It took a while, but I think we all understand each other well now." Larrieu clearly speaks the same language as his back four, because Paul Sturrock's team have developed a fierce defensive reputation. The season started poorly with two home defeats, but since then the Pilgrims are unbeaten in the League. They are sitting pretty at the top of the Third Division with a six-point advantage over their nearest rivals. "Plymouth are a club with a lot of potential," says Larrieu, who is a lifelong friend of Newcastle's Laurent Robert. "The ground is being refurbished and the management are prepared to invest more money, so there is no better time to gain promotion."

If statistics are anything to go by, Plymouth are Second Division-bound. "I am told every team that have kept 18 clean sheets in one season have always gone up," Larrieu says. "That means six more and we're there." Barring any blunders à la Barthez, that is.