Do goalkeepers develop even after they're over 23 years old?

[Firdhauz]

Right, I've got myself a goalkeeper who is touted to be able to be a leading Premier League goalkeeper for free. Naturally, as a newly promoted side, I've decided to sign him. Problem is, his current ability is only rated as about 2.5 stars. If I give him regular games, is he gonna be able to fully realise his potential? Do goalkeepers really have different peak periods and development times from outfield players?

Speaking of which, do outfield players stop developing after 23 years old as well? When do we know when to give up on a player fullfiling his potential?

[Cleon]

People will claim players stop developing at 25 and don't develop much after that, but that's a lie and a hangover from an old version of FM. On FM13/14 etc you'll still easily to be able to develop him by playing him if he has PA left.

[Firdhauz]

Alright, thanks Cleon. Was hoping to hear an answer from the guru.

[Jambo98]

Presumably part of the difficulty, and reasons for this wrong assumption, is the link between development and personality types. Once a player is over 23, you are pretty much stuck with his personality type (he cant be tutored, although i think the random "off the field events" which come up now and then could happen).

So if you have 23yr old with low professionalism/ambition then its going to be hard for them to reach full potential. Clearly with lots of game time, good coaching and training facilities he still can get better, but it wont happen for every player (Otherwise everyone would reach their full PA at some point i guess?)

[Marsupian]

In my current save my 35 yr old goalkeeper Sorrentino just made significant improvements as a footballer due to match experience at a higher level than before.

My guess to what happened is he was declining a bit due to age (and maybe never realized his full potential) but then after promoting to the Serie A (Palermo starts in the Serie B) and an amazing run of form that sees us in the top 3 halfway into the season he has adapted to the new level of play and realized more of his potential ability.

A couple of other experienced players also made small improvements recently.

[valehannes]

Part of the 'problem' is that at 25 or around there, the scouts and the coaches opinion stars for CA and PA are always the same so it looks like they're at their full potential.

[Dr. Hook]

They absolutely can and do- In a recent save I had a keeper with great physical attributes but absolutely terrible keeper stats and him 26 too. I signed him as at the low, low level I was at the physical aattributes were going to carry him anyway. To get on, though, three years in and he had improved immensely. I started with him at English level 8 and he ended up a good Conference keeper and was still tending the net a decade later at a conference club.That is just one of quite a few examples I've had over the years of late developing players. For me, at the mid to late 20s age range, if the physical attributes are there (and the PA permits, of course) you can develop quality. I have found, though, that physical stats in those ages do not develop a great deal so I keep that in mind as I evaluate possible late bloomers.

(and of course I have signed my fair share of numptys too that never bloomed, late or otherwise!)