Seaman keen to crown his career with Orient finale

There are exceptions but most footballers, once they reach a certain age, start treating every match as if it could be their last. It is one source of the enthusiasm that keeps players such as Gary McAllister and Nigel Winterburn going.

For David Seaman at present this feeling is magnified. He knows if England lose another game in Japan, starting with today's match against Nigeria, he is unlikely to play in the World Cup finals again.

Though the 38-year-old Seaman has belied his age this season it is hard to imagine he will be able to extend his career to the next World Cup. He will by then be two months short of his 43rd birthday – and may call time on his England career at the end of this one.

Although Seaman had 70 caps under his belt before today's game (a figure only exceeded in the goalkeeping ranks by Peter Shilton's 125, and Gordon Banks' 73) his 12-year run with England is as remarkable for the occasions where he has overcome criticism, as for its longevity.

As Ray Clemence, the England goalkeeping coach noted yesterday: "He was rejected [by Leeds] at 16 and will have felt the world had ended. It is one thing that has driven him on."

Clemence added: "Goalkeepers need to have strong characters. More than anyone they are criticised early in their careers, and they need the character to deal with that."

Seaman has proved he has that character. Blamed on his debut in November 1988 for Saudi Arabia's goal he did not play for England again until February 1991. He did well enough though, for Queens Park Rangers to persuade Arsenal to pay a then-record £1.3m for him in May 1990. And to make that summer's World Cup squad only to have to drop out with injury, being replaced by Dave Beasant.

A first championship medal soon arrived with Arsenal, but it was not until 1993 that Seaman began to make the England No 1 shirt his own. With Shilton retired and Chris Woods out of favour, Seaman gradually edged ahead of Tim Flowers and Nigel Martyn.

He has been first choice ever since, but there has been the occasional slip. He was criticised for the goals he conceded to Dennis Bergkamp and Ronald Koeman when the Dutch knocked England out in the 1994 World Cup qualifiers. He was similarly blamed, along with Graeme Le Saux, when Romania defeated England in the 1998 finals. And earlier this season it seemed age had finally caught up with him when his form at Arsenal dipped to the extent that Richard Wright, or even Stuart Taylor, seemed poised to take over.

Seaman came back, just as he did when Alex Manninger threatened his Highbury place. Clemence said: "Some of the criticism he received from certain quarters then will have hurt him. He would not have wanted to finish his career with that around. It drove him on to show he was not finished."

It was a difficult time for Seaman, who had been playing with a shoulder injury – particularly worrying for an ageing goalkeeper.

Clemence added: "The biggest problem being older is getting back into the swing of things after an injury. Some people never do. But David has and he is now in excellent form, probably better than before the injury forced him to have four to five months out. Maybe the shoulder was niggling and affecting him before the operation.

"He came back and showed good form in Arsenal's run-in to the Double. He didn't make loads of saves, he made vital ones. The difference between good keepers and great keepers is that they make saves which influence matches. At 1-1 in Munich he made a fantastic save [from Jörg Böhme] low to his right."

Two others will also come to mind when Sven Goran Eriksson writes down the first name on the team sheet. One was the reaction save from Jari Litmanen in the 88th minute of the home qualifier with Finland. It was Eriksson's first competitive game, and a Finland equaliser then could have left his revolution still-born.

Fresher in the mind will be another close-range save, this time from Argentina's Mauricio Pochettino late in Friday's game. Saves like these are why Seaman remains in the side in spite of David James' greater agility and Nigel Martyn's better spring. Neither, though, have the aura of Seaman.

"David has great presence and is a calming influence," added Clemence. "Even before a ball is kicked he looks difficult to beat and in control. His experience is particularly important in our young team.

"Older keepers compensate for a slight loss of agility with experience. It's why they say 'keepers get better with age'. You read situations better, your reflexes don't need to be as quick as they were 10 years before. Goalkeepers at this level, unless it is a really special shot, tend to get beaten more often by shots which are mis-hit, which don't go where they are expected to go."

Clemence, having played until he was 39 himself, understands Seaman's situation better than most. "As you get older you change your training methods, and you don't do as much physical work. He knows what he needs to be ready. I do my work in the early part of the week, he does what he knows is needed in the latter part."

It is now 22 years since Leeds rejected Seaman. He has since made nearly 1,000 senior appearances, more than half for Arsenal. "Only he knows how long he can go on for," added Clemence. "He is careful what he eats, and looks after himself. But I don't think he is one of those players who will drop down the leagues."

It is hard to imagine Seaman, a proud man with a difficult relationship with the written media, owing to publicity about his personal life, returning to the lower divisions. His England career may finish in the Orient, but he will not be playing for them.