David Seaman exclusive: Why David James must be England's World Cup goalkeeper - The Big Interview

By Simon Bird in Mirror Football Blog

Published 05:00 03/12/09

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David Seaman was the last of a quartet of England goalkeepers who secured the No1 shirt for an amazing 40 years, and collectively won 334 caps.

Gordon Banks, Ray Clemence, Peter Shilton and Seaman himself left England bosses with few headaches over who should anchor the national team.

Current boss Fabio Capello doesn’t have that luxury ahead of the World Cup next summer. Questions remain unanswered. Worries linger over such a key position.

Will David James be fit? Will the Portsmouth keeper manage two games a week? Is there an understudy with the stature and experience to thrust into the chest tightening pressure of South Africa 2010? Ben Foster is an England player, but Manchester United’s No3 keeper. Robert Green’s big match experience is limited.

Arsenal legend Seaman, a veteran of 75 caps and 14 years with England, last night cast his eye over the contenders - and expressed his fear that the keeper situation could get worse in years to come because so many clubs have filled their academies with teenage foreign stoppers.

He is convinced that James has to be England’s No1 in the heat of the battle this summer, because keeping goal in such tense pressured situations requires a man with iron nerves and experience, and at nearly 40, fits the bill.

But Seaman believes Foster must ask for a loan move away from Old Trafford for the rest of the season to keep the pressure on James and remain in the England squad. And he believes Blackburn’s Paul Robinson, behind James the most experienced contender, is not out of the picture.

Seaman, who won his last cap in the 2002 World Cup, said: “England have been lucky with goalkeepers. For 40 years it has seemed the position has been held down by just a few keepers. Banks, Clemence, Shilton and I was fortunate enough to get a good run at it.

“The reason people are debating the position now is because people are thinking: Is David James too old at 39? Will he be fit enough for the rigours of the World Cup. And because the gap with the other guys like Robert Green and Ben Foster is closer.

“David James has 49 caps and has everything he needs - lots of experience, good agility and the right physique. The only concern is can he keep going until next summer. His injury problems now are making it difficult for Capello to say he is my definite No1.

“If he stays fit and keeps playing well, James will be the No1 and has the vast experience to cope with the huge pressures of a World Cup. It is no gamble taking James to the World Cup, because Capello knows what he will get.

“You have got to have keepers in the squad with experience to deal with the pressures. And believe me it is real pressure. The step up to being Engalnd No1 is massive.

“I was playing for Arsenal and when I got in the England team I found it a huge step up in pressure. It can really get to you. so to go from playing for West Ham, or being a club reserve to playing for England....

“It is all about building up to the big games. You play for club, then country, then in big qualifiers and on the World Cup stage. Then you are best placed to cope with the defining moments, moments when one mistake can cost the team. It is about eliminating the chances of those mistakes.

“David James will have more then enough to do in goal for Portsmouth this season, just like Robert Green will see plenty of action in front of  him with West Ham! The only negative to that is that it leaves more chance of errors which would get highlighted.

“Robert has gathered some really good experience now and that is the key for the players under David James. They need experience. Green is 29 and has eight caps, and six starts. I think he has played 550 minutes for England which compared to James is not much.

“What England must avoid is the situation that happened to Scott Carson. We can’t make the mistake of throwing lads in for their first few games in really high pressure situations. Carson came in for his debut against Croatia and made that mistake that was hugely costly. It just doesn’t work for the goal keeper situation.”

Many see Foster as the future. But he has made errors for Manchester United and is not commanding regular football. Seaman says there is a solution.

He added: “The strange thing for Foster is that he was no1 choice for England against Brazil, but is third choice for Manchester United. That presents him with a big dilemma. Can he go to the World Cup as third choice for his club? I think he needs to get a move - a loan move.

“You don’t throw away the chance of being at Manchester United so a loan move would be best. He should look at Joe Hart who wasn’t going to get a look in at Man City with Shay Given arriving, and now he is at Birmingham doing well. I admire Joe for doing that and he has a future.”

Paul Robinson collected most of his caps under Sven Goran Eriksson but Seaman says he should not book his holidays yet: “There is a chance for him especially with his experience. He has 41 caps, 26 under Sven, and if David James is unfit he could be in the picture.”

Seaman is an ambassador for England’s 2018 World Cup campaign, but by then he is worried that many young English keepers will struggling to make it as domestic clubs hoover up foreign keepers for their youth development programmes.

He added: “I am quite worried about what the situation will be say come 2018, when the whole nation hopes we will be hosting the World Cup. You look at youth teams now and think wow, where are the English keepers?

“All teams now seem to have foreign reserve keepers. Arsenal only have one English lad youth team keeper. That will be a worry by 2018. I hope it gets better by then but it is something we have to look at now.

“It is about coaching schools and giving English lads a chance. Look at me, I was released when I was 19. But then I got another chance. How many would get that now? We need to get working on that and solve the problem or we could end up with nobody. Of course there will always be English keepers around but  we need them playing for Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and Man United”.

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With one year to go until the final decision is made you can join David Seaman in backing the bid by texting ENGLAND to 62018 or visiting www.england2018bid.com

Seaman said: “I am passionate about the World Cup coming to England. I know we would put on an unbelievable tournament. We have the stadia and most importantly huge support from football fans and the country in general.

“Being away with England I never knew how much watching us impacted on the country back home. Now, having been here during tournaments I see games bringing the country to a standstill. Flags everywhere.

“We need fans to get behind the bid and show that we are overwhelmingly behind our bid by texting in and signing petitions so we can show FIFA that everyone wants the tournament here.

“I was only three in 1966 so can’t remember it! This is a once in a lifetime chance and we have got to let the world know how much we want it.”.

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