The first leg of Hungary’s Euro 2016 qualifier with Norway on Thursday night saw the Magyars come away with a win in Oslo, a result which could prove as invaluable as it was unexpected come the second leg on Sunday night. A solitary first half goal from debut-maker Lászlo Kleinheisler and a frantic second half of defending saw the Hungarians survive the attacking onslaught and edge out the first leg.

The occasion also marked the 100th cap of ever-present veteran keeper Gabor Kiraly, bringing him but one away from József Bozsik as the most capped player in the history of the Hungarian national football team. As undoubtedly one of the most storied Hungarian goalkeepers of all time, he has given valuable performances for his national side over the years. Nevertheless, his efforts were often in vain and at times overlooked: he is a part of the generation of Hungarian players to have never qualified for an international tournament, a cruel reminder of the country’s brutal fall from the days of Puskás and Kocsis. Over the last year, with retirement evidently on the horizon at the ripe age of 39, he has been able to retain his position as the first choice, although shaky and all too often abysmal performances have left fans doubting his ability to compete at the highest level.

Kiraly began his career playing for hometown club Szombathelyi Haladás – to which he has now returned -, from where he eventually earned himself a move to Hertha Berlin. The first of his 100 caps came soon after against Austria, a game which saw him save a 4th minute Toni Polster penalty. This match, where the young Király made a name for himself, was the start of an international career that would go on to be peppered with spectacular saves and –more recently – awful blunders, where he himself would often sway between explosive passion and blank expressions.

Invariably known for his trademark tracksuit bottoms, Király soon established himself as a prominent goalkeeper in the Bundesliga. Király became a fan favourite and also made key appearances in the Champions League. Nevertheless, the success soon stopped and what would end up being a turbulent club career took a sharp turn. After falling out with manager Hans Meyer, he moved to Crystal Palace in 2004. After a few successful seasons, he moved around English clubs between 2006 and 2009, unable to establish himself as the prominent first choice keeper at any of his clubs. This was largely down to being signed as a replacement, or not being reliable enough between the sticks. In 2009, he returned to Germany, signing for 1860 Munich, where he earned his place in the starting 11 and became once again known for his reliability in goal. Never reaching his former heights, Király stayed at 1860 Munich for 5 years playing in the 2. Bundesliga. At the beginning of the 2014-2015 season, yet another falling out, this time with head coach Ricardo Moniz and assaulting a fellow teammate resulted in him being removed from the squad. In that same season he joined Fulham, where he was relegated to the subs bench by Bettinelli, after conceding 10 goals in 2 games. Fans often look back on his performances as being some of the worst they’d seen in a Fulham shirt.

For the start of the 2015-2016 season he returned to Szombathleyi Haladás, a move which bore all the hallmarks of the final lap of honour before retirement: a comeback at the club where it all started. The motivation, as he says, behind the move was to continue developing an already successful Gabor Király goalkeeping academy. Returning home to his boyhood club was not about earning more money, but about giving something special to the next generation and to establish a football academy to produce young talents for Hungary, whose football is in a sorry state. Nevertheless, in spite of these clearly good-natured motives, his role at Haladás is specifically the reason why so many Hungarian fans are sceptical about his recent call-ups to the national team. Why is Hungary starting a 39 year old keeper playing in the Hungarian league instead of using players who play in the Premier League (Bogdan) and La Liga (Megyeri)?

Many, however, argue that it’s is not a mistake to call him up. His experience in the area is unmatched in the country, a factor which is crucial for their unprecedented Euro 2016 play-offs and could be used to encourage younger players. Between 2012 and 2013 it seemed he had finally been outdone by then Bolton ‘keeper Adam Bogdan, as he was being favoured over Király. However, the appointment of former Hertha Berlin teammate Pal Dárdai had led to his inclusion in the starting line-up for the national side once more. He kept his place after the hiring of Bernd Storck, who was the manager of Hertha Berlin during Király’s time at the Bundesliga club. The string of appearances of late may seem like the result of good connections, but Király had at times justified his inclusion in the team – other times, though, it was a different story altogether.

Király never reached the heights of his Hertha Berlin career, but he remained the best choice for his country. However, his age may have caught up with him and mistakes have become more frequent for both club and country. This is evident from his forgettable time at Fulham, which could be considered a career all-time low. Letting in all 4 shots on target against one of the worst Greek sides in history – a team against which the Faroes did the double and were bested by Luxembourg yesterday – has led to many fans wondering if is time for Király to finally hang up his boots. On many occasions against Norway on his 100th cap, he looked very vulnerable and indecisive, especially when crosses were coming thick and fast into the box from the opposition. One of his errors had resulted in an urgent clearance from the goal line. While on paper he has kept a clean sheet, the performance was far from convincing and Király found himself lucky to not be conceding as a patchy performance nearly facilitated Norway’s attacking efforts. It’s clear: the clean sheets before the arrival of Storck were largely thanks to the well organised Hungarian defence, not the goalkeeping.

In a way, Király was born in the wrong generation, unable of to qualify to any major international tournament with Hungary. However, he is still one of the best goalkeepers the nation has ever had. But there are times, you need to let go, and give faith to the next generation that could go on to do better things. Király starting for the national side leads Hungarians to believe that coaches are dwelling on the past, and are trying to find the keeper who was at his peak during his Hertha Berlin and Crystal Palace days. His longevity and occasional string of solid performances make a case for his presence in the team, as well as being a veteran, a calming presence, in a team in which young players are finding themselves with a greater role, but the cracks are beginning to show in his goalkeeping. The spectacular saves are drying up to show an inherently flawed keeper behind, one who has never really been able to impose himself in the last 10 years outside of the comfort of his national team.

When Gábor Király takes the field against Norway tonight, he will do so as Hungary’s top appearance maker. His experience leads to believe that he should be called up for the national side to support younger players and motivate them to success. He is a professional, leader and role model to his peers, which many national sides are lacking around the world. However, Hungary must accept that a lot of his skills that made him successful faded and they should hand over the number 1 jersey to the next generation.