Keeper (Peet novel)

Keeper is a sports novel for young adults by Mal Peet, published by Walker Books in 2003.

It was Peet's first novel and the first of three (as of 2012) football stories featuring South American sports journalist Paul Faustino.

Cast as an interview with Faustino, the world's best goalkeeper, El Gato ("The Cat"), tells his life story.

When he won the 2009 Guardian Prize for his third Paul Faustino football novel, Exposure, he told the sponsoring newspaper he had felt that 'football books for children were "pretty much crap"'.

"[4] Paul Faustino, a journalist for La Nación, is interviewing El Gato about his recent World Cup win.

As a teenager, he secretly trains with the Keeper in an abandoned soccer field hidden in the rainforest.

The young El Gato convinces his parents his time in the rainforest is the result of his fascination with nature.

"[7] The charade continues until El Gato turns 15, when he is expected to start working in the logging industry with his father.

His co-workers invite him to play as the goalkeeper and, in his first game since his training with the Keeper, he helps his team win.

Finally, El Gato reveals to Paul Faustino that he cheated in the second last penalty shot of the World Cup.

He is a world cup winning goalkeeper, and throughout the story, he is telling a soccer reporter his past in an interview.