Who is Ederson? Inside the life of Man City’s £35m maverick goalkeeper

Ederson is one of the Premier League’s top goalkeepers and has been crucial to Manchester City’s recent success.

A goalkeeper was one of Pep Guardiola‘s most sought-after signings when arriving at Manchester City but he initially signed Claudio Bravo.

When the former Barcelona shot-stopper had a difficult first season in the Premier League, the Blues boss did not hesitate to go out and find a replacement.

Ederson was recruited and he has been the first-choice goalkeeper ever since.

The maverick between the sticks isn’t only great at preventing the ball from going into the net but is pivotal to how City build-up play thanks to his confidence in possession and proactiveness off his line.

We all know how good he is in goal but what else is there to know about Ederson? We’ve answered all your most frequently asked questions below.

How old is Ederson?

Ederson Santana de Moraes was born on August 17, 1993 in Osasco, Sau Paulo, Brazil.

As of April 2024, he is 30 years old.

Ederson height and weight

Ederson stands at 6 ft and one inch tall, is left footed and weighs 89kg, according to TNT Sports.

Though small in stature for a traditional goalkeeper, Ederson uses his size to his advantage by being fast off his line and good with the ball at his feet.

Who is Ederson’s wife?

Ederson is married to internet personality and digital content creator Lais Moraes.

The couple got together in 2013 in Portugal, according to The Sun, and married in 2014.

They have three children together – Yasmisn, Henrique and Laura – as well as several dogs.

Ederson and Lais renewed their vows as they celebrated their anniversary with their children in a beach ceremony in 2023.

Lais has an official Instagram account with 440k followers and often posts pictures with her husband.

Ederson revealed in 2023, via OneFootball, that Lais often criticises him if he makes mistakes on the pitch.

“When she thinks she must scold me, she does; when she feels like making a compliment, she does that,” he said.

“That is very important, that we have open discussions. She is not the kind that goes, ‘Calm down, you’ll get it right in the next one.’

“No, many times, she goes, ‘You should have done that, you should not have done what you did, you should not have conceded that goal.’ She helps me to see other aspects.”

“And my children are the most important part because they give me strength – they are my joy. They give my self-esteem a boost and that’s fundamental in my everyday life.”

Ederson Instagram and X accounts

Ederson has an official Instagram account with 5.2m followers. His pinned posts are pictures of him holding the Champions League trophy and another with his wife and children.

He does appear to have an official X account, too, but it is inactive.

Ederson salary and contract

Ederson is handsomely rewarded for his City exploits with a weekly salary of £100,000 a week which he has been earning since signing a new contract in September 2021.

The Brazilian earns an annual salary of £5.2m before tax and his contract does not expire until June 30, 2026.

Who has Ederson played for?

Ederson began his career as a youngster at local club Sau Paulo before heading over to Portugal as a teenager. Benfica released him after 18-months but that didn’t stop him getting to the top of the game.

How much did Ederson cost Man City?

Manchester City paid £35m to sign Ederson from Benfica in the summer of 2017.

Who was Man City goalkeeper before Ederson?

Upon taking over City in 2016, Guardiola’s first big decision was dropping long-term goalkeeper and club legend Joe Hart from the side as he wasn’t good enough with the ball at his feet.

Barcelona goalkeeper Claudio Bravo was signed to replace him but struggled massively with the pace and physicality of the Premier League.

Guardiola was desperate to find a new goalkeeper after the Chilean underwhelmed his first season and Ederson proved to be exactly what was needed.

How many assists does Ederson have for Man City?

Ederson is renowned for his ability on the ball just as much as he is for keeping it out of his net.

The goalkeeper often dazzles with stunning long passes from his box that can stretch the length of the field.

As a result, he has a rare knack among goalkeepers for contributing to his side’s attacks and already has four assists for City.

According to 888 Sport, Ederson is joint-fourth in the list of goalkeepers with the most Premier League assists on three. Only Paul Robinson (five), David Seaman and Pepe Reina (four) have more.

Ederson’s other assist came in the Champions League as he teed up Raheem Sterling to score a late winner vs Schalke with an outrageous pass. He also set one goal up for Benfica.

Ederson’s Man City assists

Ederson stats

Ederson Man City career stats

Ederson pre-Man City stats

There is not much data available from Ederson’s single season with Segunda Divisao side Ribeirao other than he made 30 appearances for the club.

Ederson international stats for Brazil

Ederson trophies and honours

Man City trophies won

Benfica trophies won

International trophies

Individual honours

Why does Ederson wear No.31 for Man City?

Ederson has worn No.31 since joining City in 2017.

Though No.1 was taken when he first arrived, it has been free for years, but he still hasn’t opted to swap for the traditional first-choice goalkeeper number.

According to Museum of Jerseys, City are the only Premier League team that doesn’t have No.1 allocated this season with backup goalkeepers Stefan Ortega and Scott Carson wearing numbers 18 and 33, respectively.

However, it’s never been clarified why Ederson has chosen to stick with the high digit.

Does Ederson have a smiley face tattoo?

Yes, he does. Ederson is covered in tattoos all over his body.

He has a striking rose and skull on his neck, an angel, eagle, lion and a caught football on his back, ‘I Belong to Jesus’ across his chest, the Portuguese League trophy on his leg in honour of his two title triumphs at Benfica and many more.

The tattoo that stands out the most, though, is a yellow smiley face which is just behind his left ear.

When did Sadio Mane kick Ederson in the face?

Ederson is not shy about charging out of his box to challenge opposition forwards but sometimes it can backfire.

That’s what happened in a match with Liverpool in September 2017. Ederson ran out to close down Sadio Mane but the forward had his foot in the air as he tried to control a high ball.

Instead of the ball, Mane caught Ederson flush in the face with his studs, leaving him flattened on the floor.

Mane was shown a straight red card as Ederson received eight minutes of treatment on the pitch before being carried off on a stretcher.

A serious injury was feared but it thankfully didn’t turn out that bad and Ederson was back in action four days later, though he did wear protective headgear for a spell.

Mane immediately apologised after the incident and Ederson revealed he accepted the apology.

“Yes, I had contact with him [Mane],” said Ederson, via Sky Sports. “He sent me a message.

“I told him to stay calm, those things happen on the pitch, it could happen any time. I told him to not worry and wished him a good season.

“I ended up having a hard hit in the face but in the same week I was ready to play in the Champions League.

“I faced that game full of confidence again, without any fear and happy for the result we achieved.”

What goalkeeper gloves does Ederson wear?

According to goalkeeper.shop, Ederson wears Puma Future Z 2 gloves made exclusively for the Brazilian.