England manager Roy Hodgson is encouraged by the competition he has in the goalkeeping position, with Southampton’s Fraser Forster having returned to his squad.
Gaffer pleased with goalkeeper situation
The England manager said, 'I think it’s a very healthy situation we find ourselves in with goalkeepers.' He said on the back of selecting his squad for the upcoming friendly games against Germany in Berlin, and Netherlands at Wembley just three days later.
It marks a remarkable return to the national squad after a serious knee injury put a shadow of doubt over his contention for a spot for the Euro’s later this year.
Hodgson is pleased to see the keeper back in form that is better than he was before he picked up the injury that give him a 10 month spell on the side-lines.
Fraser has serious competition for the number-one shirt as he is alongside Stoke City’s Jack Butland and current number-one, Manchester City’s Joe Hart. Something that Hodgson is encouraged about.
'We’ve got Joe Hart, who’s had the number one shirt for the last four years and has continued to show what a fine goalkeeper he is, but younger goalkeepers like Jack and like Fraser, who four years ago actually were more or less part of our development squads, they’ve improved all the time,' he remarked, 'now they are not only bona fide contenders, they’re really knocking on the door to try and knock Joe off his perch.'
Hodgson, still insisted that Hart is the number one at this current time, but has not ruled out that changing before the team head over to France in June. England face Russia, Slovakia, and rivals Wales in their group as they look to finally end their long wait for international silverware.