Portsmouth and former England number one, David James
Julian Finney / Getty Images
David James
He may be closer to 40 than 30 these days and be the less than proud owner of a career blooper reel that would shame any goalkeeper at any level but David James is one of football's survivors and for one very good reason - memorable blunders aside, he's one of the safest goalkeepers to play top flight football in England in the past twenty years.
The English press were quick to vilify him for mistakes when he played for England (a pattern that has held true for every England goalkeeper since Gordon Banks retired) but those same fickle hacks are now the ones clamouring for his return after a season with Portsmouth that proved Harry Redknapp's confidence in James was well placed and that the big goalkeeper was nowhere near past his sell by date.
Goalkeepers can play on for years longer than most outfield players (Teddy Sheringham being the exception that proves the rule) and with James at a level of fitness at age 37 that would have shamed 1980s goalkeeping heroes like Neville Southall in their early 20s, there is no reason that "Calamity James" can't keep going for another few years at the very peak of his abilities.
The English press were quick to vilify him for mistakes when he played for England (a pattern that has held true for every England goalkeeper since Gordon Banks retired) but those same fickle hacks are now the ones clamouring for his return after a season with Portsmouth that proved Harry Redknapp's confidence in James was well placed and that the big goalkeeper was nowhere near past his sell by date.
Goalkeepers can play on for years longer than most outfield players (Teddy Sheringham being the exception that proves the rule) and with James at a level of fitness at age 37 that would have shamed 1980s goalkeeping heroes like Neville Southall in their early 20s, there is no reason that "Calamity James" can't keep going for another few years at the very peak of his abilities.