Former England goalkeeper David James has lambasted the quality of goalkeeper coaching in the domestic game, pointing to the rarity of seeing a home-grown keeper play for a Premier League team.
There are only five clubs sporting a first-choice English goalkeeper – seven if you include Keiren Westwood, who now represents the Republic of Ireland, and David Stockdale at Sunderland and Fulham respectively.
“I’m frustrated with the situation. Time and time again, I’ve looked at our keeper coaches,” James told The Sun.
“If you do basic work, you get basic keepers. What they are doing is wrong. As a result, the players are not coming through.
“English clubs have had goalkeeper coaches for a long time.
“I had one at Watford as a schoolboy and although I signed for Liverpool in 1992, they had one in 1993-94. Down the years we’ve not had the English keepers to show for it.”
James, who earned 53 caps for England, has previously indicated a desire to turn to management following his playing career and spent the past summer working on his Level B coaching badges.
“Asmir Begovic at Stoke is a great lad. He is Bosnian but had a top coach at Portsmouth in David Coles,” James added.
“David also got me back into the Prem. Paul Barron, who was at Newcastle and Villa, was also great.
“He trained Shay Given and Mark Schwarzer. Good coaches make good keepers.
“Most of our English keepers in the Prem come when Championship clubs go up.
“It frustrates me nothing has been done. You have to become a qualified outfield coach before being a qualified keeper coach. It doesn’t make sense.”