Green going for goal

Robert Green has been speaking about the "massive chance" to stake his claim for the England No1 spot with the weekend international in Kazakhstan.

The West Ham United goalkeeper will be competing with Paul Robinson and Scott Carson for the chance to replace David James in Saturday's FIFA World Cup qualifier in Almaty. He has just enjoyed another tremendous season for the club, making it 88 successive league outings and earning the Hammer of the Year runner-up award to go with claiming the overall prize for the previous campaign.

"I think it's a massive chance for one of the three of us," said Green. "Between us we've obviously got to work hard in training and try and impress. "With Jamo being out for these two games it's an opportunity. Whether it comes to myself, or Robbo or Scott is another matter, it's down to the manager. But in the overall scheme of things it's a massive chance for one of us."

The 29-year-old has been capped twice previously, including in the friendly defeat in Spain back in February, and would relish the chance to make it four appearances, with next Wednesday's home qualifier against Andorra also on the horizon. "I feel like I'm ready, I feel like there is a step to be taken and you should never deny yourself that step up.

"I've looked and watched and taken part, on a few occasions, to be involved with the first team and it's a tremendous honour to be there. It feels like it's an opportunity that's there and it's ready to be taken."

Green has had to be patient in his international career, with only the two substitute appearances to his name thus far. The challenge of forcing his way into the England set-up once prompted him to jokingly have 'England's Number 6' stitched on to his gloves.

"It was 18 months ago. It was just a gag started up by the West Ham fans, a light-hearted jibe, a bit of self-depreciation on my part.

"But I never seriously thought my England chance had gone. I'm still fairly young. I've not his 30 yet. You look at someone like David James, who has done tremendously well for his country and he is now in his late 30s."

West Ham fans can look forward to Green getting better and better, and with three years left to run on his existing contract at the Boleyn Ground, the keeper feels he can improve even further for club and country. "I don't think I've reached my peak, I think there's more to be learnt and I think there's more to improve on in my game.

"But there's not a day that goes by when I don't do that, when I don't work on things that need to be improved on. That's one of the great things about football; there's always time and a chance to improve so in terms of that I feel I'm ready to take a chance but until you take that step up you don't know what you need to improve on and that's something that I'm ready and willing to learn from.

"You always keep the belief and there's a large part where you believe if you do everything you can then, when the time comes, you're ready. If it never comes you can't sit there and say well, what if? If it comes I'll feel like I'll be ready. There are tough games coming up but ones in which I'm itching to play in.

"It's a chance I've been waiting for since I became involved in the England squad and it's a determination to want to improve myself as a player and a person, and gain experience from. If I can do that in any games then I'll be determined to do it and it's a personal pressure more than anything and any pressure from outside."