Vito Mannone, the 38-year-old former Arsenal goalkeeper, made a notable return to competitive football on Monday night, playing a key role in Crawley Town's 2-0 victory against York City in the Carabao Cup preliminary round. Mannone, who had not appeared in a competitive match for 18 months, kept a clean sheet for his new club.
Mannone joined Crawley Town this summer in a dual player-coach capacity, heading up the club's goalkeeping department. His last competitive appearance was for Lille in February 2025. Prior to his move to Crawley, he served as an Academy Goalkeeper Coach at Premier League club Brighton.
Crawley secured their win at the LNER Community Stadium with goals from Gianmarco Di Biase and Danilo Orsi. Di Biase's 24th-minute opener was met with chants directed at former Crawley coach Scott Lindsey, who now manages York City.
Mannone's extensive experience was evident as he made two saves to preserve his team's lead. The win sets Crawley Town up for a first-round tie against Watford.
Mannone's career began at Arsenal, where he was signed by Arsene Wenger in 2005. He made 15 appearances for the Gunners before departing for Sunderland in 2013. His time at Arsenal included an eight-game spell in the 2009-10 season. After Sunderland, he moved to Reading in 2017, followed by a stint with Major League Soccer side Minnesota United, where he was named MLS Goalkeeper of the Year. His European journey continued with spells at Esbjerg FB, AS Monaco, FC Lorient, and Lille.
Crawley manager Colin Kazim-Richards expressed his enthusiasm for Mannone's arrival, highlighting his knowledge and experience. "To be able to add to my coaching staff, to the club, someone of Vito's calibre is a credit in itself," Kazim-Richards stated. "His knowledge, his footballing experiences, playing at the highest level with some of the best coaches in terms of standards – what it actually takes and ideas coming from a country that creates amazing goalkeepers – has really taken us up another level."
Mannone himself shared his excitement about the new role, stating, "I am delighted and proud to take on this role and can’t wait to meet everyone at the club and to start working with the staff and players. I’ll give everything to the cause and hope to pass on my experiences as a player, leading into a successful season."