Hammers star finally gets the recognition he richly deserves

Football FanCast guest columnist Jerry Edwards is delighted to see Robert Green get the international recognition, he so richly deserves.

When Robert Green had "England's No.6" sewn onto his goalkeeping gloves, he had every reason to feel downbeat. Quite why he was overlooked, considering the performances he put in week in, week out, at West Ham remains a mystery to me and it must have been a bitter pill for him to swallow.

You can't blame Green, I mean, with the likes of Paul Robinson flapping at every cross, Scott Carson flattering to deceive and a Man United reserve getting the nod above you, he must be forgiven for thinking what the hell he had to do to get an opportunity. It seemed his face didn't fit in the goalkeeping clique with England, as the constant exclusions based on club form just failed to add up. Fortunately for Green and the country in particular we have Fabio Capello now, a man that doesn't pick players on reputation, or past glories, but simply goes for those who are in form. Finally Green has got the recognition that all West Ham fans thought he deserved and was rewarded in the summer by being handed the No.1 jersey for the friendlies.

Green's performances in those games have convinced Capello to give him the nod once again, ahead of Ben Foster, against Slovenia and the crucial home qualifier against Croatia in midweek. Green now has the opportunity to firmly cement himself as England's main man in goal and why it has taken a long time for a national coach to appreciate his abilities, the timing couldn't have come better for Green being that it's a World Cup year. I, like Capello, firmly believe he is the best English keeper in the country and perhaps a good performance in the next week will be enough to convince Robert Green to take another trip to the embroiders to replace the current stitching.

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