England Watch - Robert Green
Green has been a first-team regular since the age of 21
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Wednesday, 10, Jan 2007 05:34
After enduring the disappointment of missing out on the last World Cup, Robert Green is attempting to re-establish himself as one of England's better goalkeeping options with a stint in the Premiership at West Ham United.
While he may be running neck-and-neck with a number of other stoppers in a bid to be England's understudy to seemingly automatic choice Paul Robinson of Tottenham Hotspur, Green has impressed since his step up from Norwich City in the Championship.
Green only missed out on a flight to Germany because of the freak injury he picked up playing in a 'B' international against Belarus in May. Alistair Potter investigates the likelihood of his selection again in 2010.
Name: Robert Paul Green
Position: Goalkeeper
Club: West Ham United
Age by South Africa 2010: 30
Until his move to Upton Park, Green had been a one-club player at Norwich City. After graduating from the Canaries' youth team in 1999 he signed full professional terms at Carrow Road but found himself firmly behind Andy Marshall in the goalkeeping ranks.
However, then-19-year-old Green only had to wait two years for his chance with the first team. When Marshall left the club in 2001, Green was elevated to the starting role and was a hit with critics and fans from the off. His impressive debut was by no means a thriller - a goalless draw - but it did give Green a clean sheet to his name straight away, and against Norwich's bitter rivals Ipswich Town, no less.
Green was an integral part of the Norwich team that won the last first division championship in 2003/04 before the league was renamed "The Championship" in conjunction with Coca-Cola's sponsorship.
Despite Norwich going straight back down the following season, Green's call-up to the international side in the interim was honoured and he remained part of the England set-up, despite playing in the second tier - a rare accolade and indicative of his quality as a shot-stopper.
In August 2006, however, Green felt it was time to move on after Norwich failed to secure an immediate return to the Premiership and he made a £2 million move to east London.
Green is a highly-competent goalkeeper but faces stiff competition from several other parties for the England number one jersey. Incumbent Paul Robinson would need to make several David James-eque blunders for his place to be threatened and there is no shortage of impressive understudies, including the man who replaced him in the 2006 World Cup squad - Scott Carson.
With Chris Kirkland and Ben Foster also pushing hard for a call-up, there are certainly more capable candidates than spaces in the squad and Green will need to perform at the highest level to stave off the competition.
Nevertheless, if he can avoid injury when others cannot (Kirkland, in particular, is a prime candidate here) he should make the squad for 2010, even if he is perhaps too similar an age to Robinson to be seriously considered as a possible successor when the Spurs man retires.
England's 2010 World Cup squad
*Players in bold - tickets to South Africa booked already
Goalkeepers
Paul Robinson
Possibles: Chris Kirkland, Ben Foster, Rob Green, Scott Carson
Defenders
John Terry, Ashley Cole, Rio Ferdinand, Jamie Carragher
Possibles: Glen Johnson, Joleon Lescott, Micah Richards, Ledley King, Michael Dawson, Anton Ferdinand, Leighton Baines, Justin Hoyte, Curtis Davies, Wes Brown, Phil Bardsley, Michael Mancienne
Midfielders
Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard, Owen Hargreaves, Joe Cole, Michael Carrick
Possibles: Aaron Lennon, Tom Huddlestone, Nigel Reo-Coker, Lee Cattermole, Shaun Wright-Phillips, Stewart Downing, Giles Barnes, James Morrison, Kieran Richardson
Forwards
Wayne Rooney, Michael Owen
Possibles: David Nugent, Theo Walcott, James Vaughan, Gabriel Agbonlahor, Jermain Defoe, Peter Crouch, Darren Bent, Dean Ashton, Cameron Jerome