The West Ham United goalkeeper made four appearances in the qualifying campaign for South Africa, earning his place on the plane and so making up for the disappointment of four years earlier when a groin injury sustained in an England ‘B’ match in May 2006 wrecked his hopes of inclusion in the senior squad for the following month’s FIFA World Cup™ in Germany.

The 30-year-old made his name with Norwich City, helping them win promotion to the Premier League in 2004. Although the Canaries were relegated 12 months later, Rob Green’s star was rising and he won his first England cap as a substitute against Colombia in New Jersey in May 2005. After 241 appearances at Carrow Road, he joined West Ham the following year, helping them escape relegation at the end of his first season with clean sheets in memorable wins at Arsenal and Manchester United.

Blessed with an unflappable nature and admirable focus, he brings strength and bravery to the role and was named Hammer of the Year by the club’s fans after an impressive second season at Upton Park. He celebrated with a trip to Africa, climbing Mount Kilimanjaro for the African Medical and Research Foundation (AMREF).

After plenty of England call-ups, Green finally made his second appearance for his country as a half-time substitute in the February 2009 friendly against Spain. A first start followed against Kazakhstan that June although there was a less wanted ‘first’ in October when he became the first England goalkeeper sent off in a 1-0 defeat in Ukraine.