Kirkland tipped for England role

Martinez feels Latics keeper is the man to answer Capello's call

By Chris Burton   Last updated: 2nd December 2009   Subscribe to RSS Feed

Kirkland tipped for England role

Kirkland: International ambitions

Related links

Teams

Players

Also see

Wigan boss Roberto Martinez believes Chris Kirkland is the man to solve England's goalkeeping problems.

With the World Cup fast approaching, Fabio Capello will have already turned his thoughts towards South Africa.

At the forefront of his mind will be who to select as his No. 1, with numerous candidates having staked a claim over recent years.

Ben Foster, David James, Robert Green and Scott Carson will all be hoping to be given the job, while Kirkland will undoubtedly push them close.

No-one is yet to make the role their own, though, and the jersey remains very much up for grabs.

Kirkland has won just one cap for his country so far, against Greece in 2006, but his club boss feels he is more than capable of becoming the safe pair of hands England so desperately need.

Reaction

"Chris has been playing to a high standard on a regular basis, and he has proved he can cope at the highest level," Martinez told the Wigan Evening Post after seeing Kirkland respond to conceding nine at Tottenham last week by keeping a clean sheet against Sunderland on Saturday.

"I am so pleased for Chris after what happened last week. He is a better keeper than he was a week ago, and he reacted as a man.

"If England need a keeper for the World Cup, Chris showed this week that he has all the ingredients.

"He plays week in, week out for us, and I think we should let football make the decision."

He added: "Chris, for me, would be England's No.1 goalkeeper.

"When he's fit and when he's playing, for me he is the best keeper in England - without a doubt."