James and Robinson keep faith in the future

Bonded by frustration, David James and Paul Robinson will emerge from the Villa Park tunnel today as the leading lights in the Union of Aspirant England Goalkeepers.

At 32, James should win his 10th cap – and the 10th in a non-competitive fixture – six years after making his international debut. Effectively the third choice behind David Seaman and Nigel Martyn at the World Cup in Japan, he knows that today's game against Portugal could be a major step towards his ambition of becoming England's permanent No1.

"Looking at this squad and seeing only two goalkeepers, it's a bit of a carrot," he said. "To actually start a game, if I do, gives me an opportunity and I hope to take it with both hands, forgive the pun. My ultimate goal this season is to play in a [Euro 2004] qualifier. They are the games that really matter and if I do well, it can only help my cause."

Robinson, 22, has also already endured his own wait in the wings, at club level and for England. Having stepped in as cover for Martyn at Leeds during the 2000-01 season, and shone especially in the thrilling Champions' League run, he spent the whole of last season in the Elland Road reserves.

No first-team appearances at club level automatically ruled him out of contention for the senior England team, if not the Under-21s. That situation clearly irked him, if only because he felt he could be doing a job for Leeds. "David O'Leary said it was a lack of experience [that stopped me playing for Leeds] and that's why he pulled me from the team," Robinson said.

Asked if he agreed with the departed manager's assessment, he said: "It's very frustrating." Pushed on the point, his stony shake of the head spoke volumes. That'll be a no, then. How do you gain experience if you're not experienced enough to be given the chance?

So both the perennial maybe-man James and the young pretender Robinson, now first-choice in the nets for his club, see today as more than an inconsequential friendly. The long-term future of Seaman, who is approaching his 39th birthday, is uncertain at best. And of the few other Englishmen vaguely in the frame for his place, Martyn's international career is apparently over while Richard Wright will need to work marvels at Everton to regain his status as a genuine contender.

James' biggest hurdle will be combining his obvious ability with a spell of consistent club form while avoiding the kind of mishap that saw him last for 57 seconds for England against the Netherlands last summer. Then he collided with Martin Keown after coming on as a second-half substitute and was out for three months.

The West Ham custodian's last start for England, during Eriksson's first match in charge, against Spain 18 months ago, also at Villa Park, was swiftly followed by a poor game for his club that did him no favours. His six other matches under Eriksson have all been 45-minute run-outs in the second half of fixtures where the Swede was looking, at most, for back-up for Seaman.

"It's not misfortune to be behind [Seaman] in the pecking order," James said, asked whether he felt he would have prospered in an era when the Arsenal man was not around. "Last season he did nothing wrong and if he does nothing wrong then he stays. At no time during the World Cup would you have replaced him.

"The season before, the same thing, he was the automatic No 1. It is frustrating because I want to play. But what I want and what the team needs is not necessarily the same thing. It's a case of taking chances when you get them."

Asked if he felt this season could be make or break internationally, he said: "No. Dave's 38 years old and I'm 32. If I'm performing and I get chances, it's up to me to maintain those chances." He added that twice-weekly yoga sessions for the past year have helped him cast off the "manic attitude" of his younger days and that he is now closer to the "constant state" required to challenge for England honours, or at least be patient while waiting.

Robinson has relied on more direct inspiration from Eriksson to keep faith that his day will come. One of the Leeds matches he played in 2000-01 was against the Swedish coach's Lazio side, after which Eriksson made it clear that he had been especially impressed with Robinson.

"It's always nice when people say nice things about you," Robinson said. "And when the man who then becomes the England manager has said it, that certainly helped keep me going last season. It's always frustrating playing in the reserve team. You'd be lying if you said otherwise."

His chance of returning to Premiership action came after Martyn decided to forego a pre-season tour with Leeds, but Robinson insists he did not give his new club manager, Terry Venables, an ultimatum that he would request a move if first-team football was not forthcoming.

"It's not a situation that arose," he said. "Obviously I was hoping to play this year but Terry never said anything. The day before the first game of this season he told me I was going to play."

Robinson says Martyn has been fully supportive. "We get on really well. We always help each other in training. He's been a big influence on my career. As an apprentice I used to clean his boots. It's a normal keepers' relationship. People talk about a keepers' union where we stick together and it's true. We always wish each other luck."

He added he "doesn't know" yet if it is premature to call him England's future No 1, although it might not be premature if a first cap, even for 45 minutes, comes his way today. "I'm just enjoying the experience," he said. "If it's going to be a long wait, I'll wait. If the manager thinks you're good enough you'll get a chance."

Sentiments that James, no doubt, can relate to.