Roy Hodgson has admitted that Fraser Forster is in his England thoughts.
The Celtic ‘keepers outstanding display against Helsingborg was shown on ITV bringing him to the attention of an English audience for the first time.
Apart from Joe Hart at Manchester City there is a dearth of goalkeeping options available to Hodgson although selecting anyone from the SPL isn’t likely to be welcomed by the Premiership obsessed English media.
Asked if Forster was in his plans Hodgson replied: “Yes, we have lots of reports on him as well. He has been followed for a longish period of time, so he is very much on our radar.
“He had an exceptional game the other night against Helsingborgs. He was a major part in the Celtic victory. So yes he is on the radar and yes he will be a competitor with the other keepers we have.
“We don’t have that many so we’ve been watching Fraser closely. He has got a chance for the forthcoming squad. But there is more chance I will stay initially with the players I have worked with recently.
“And that will give me more chance to study Forster in the Champions League.”
After Hart, Hodgson has three other keepers in his plans with Robert Green, John Ruddy and Jack Butland competing for a place.
Green’s credibility was destroyed by the goal that he lost to the USA at the World Cup in South Africa while Butland is starting his first season in the Championship after loan spells away from Birmingham City.
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Butland and Green had howlers recently while Forster stock increased. I think he will get a call up eventually. He is still young, he could be the keeper in 10 years because they seem to last forever.
Certainly miles ahead of the diddies he has selected recently. But national recognition doesn’t matter to me personally, only what they do in a Celtic jersey.
Craig Brown used to talk utter crap about International football being a step up even from CL…obviously on magic mushrooms or something. Some of these games are pathetic, even decent level national friendlies are little more than 1/2 pace training games.
CL is where the real tests are and Forster will have the last laugh. Hodgson got off lightly in the recent Euro’s where England were slightly above hopeless…but the knives will be out soon enough.
I’ll eat my hat if big Fraser gets picked. I think he’d stand better chance if he played in Burkino Faso. There’s no way they will allow someone playing in Scotland to be picked. That would admit that we are capable of providing a platform for good players to perform. In England it’s all about superiorism, and the further they can distance themselves from Scotland the better. Xenophobia is alive and well there.
They wont pick him. Nothing to do with ability, they just cant bare the thought of picking a scotland based player especially a celtic one, if he played for tax cheats fc then maybe. The english rag waving supporters are the same anyway
Would you expect him to turn round and say “well these games are hardly champions league quality but we might as well give it a bash”?