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2. Robert Green


By Jemma Tappenden
July 12 2009

Robert Green, currently the first choice goal keeper at West Ham United, has been thrust into the England set up since the arrival of Fabio Capello, despite getting his first England call up whilst at Norwich City in 2004. He made his first professional debut in football for Norwich in 1999 aged just 19 in a 0-0 draw against local rivals Ipswich Town.

As a youngster having come through the ranks at Norwich City Green’s first team appearances were limited until the exit of first choice goal keeper Andy Marshall in 2001.  In his first full season of first team football at Carrow Road Green suffered the heartache of a penalties play off final defeat against Birmingham City, despite a top class save against Geoff Horsfield’s penalty.

 

He remained a regular first team player throughout the following season, and had easily earned himself the title of Norwich’s number one keeper by the end of the 2003/04 season in which Norwich gained promotion to the Premier League.  In his first Premiership season Green conceded just 39 goals in 46 appearances, a record which earned him an international call up for England’s friendly against Sweden in March 2004.  He was also named in the PFA’s first XI for the season.

 

The following season was not so successful.  Norwich were relegated to the Championship with Green keeping just 6 clean sheets over the course of the season.  As Norwich struggled to adjust to life in the Championship Green suffered his worst ever season as first choice keeper.  Despite this however he was included in England’s 2006 World Cup squad.  Injury prevented Green from participating in any of England’s first or ‘B’ team matches of the competition, and he was replaced in the squad by Liverpool’s Scott Carson.

 

Despite the injury West Ham United snapped up the keeper in August 2006 for £2 million.  Green remains at West Ham to this day, having made 241 appearances for Norwich in 7 seasons.  In March 2008 Green was called up Fabio Capello for England’s friendly against France.  He never featured, but he finally earned his second England cap as a substitute on 12th February 2009 during England’s 2-0 defeat to Spain.

 

On 6th June 2009 Green made his first England start in a 4-0 victory against Kazakhstan in Almaty.

 

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