Goalkeeper profiles: David James

David James is the current England and Portsmouth number one and he has had a long and eventful career. He started his career at Watford before moving to Liverpool, Aston Villa, West Ham, and Manchester City, finally arriving at Portsmouth.

James may not be the best keeper in the world, though he is an excellent shot stopper and does command his area. He is the kind of keeper, especially in his younger years, who could follow a moment of sublime brilliance with a moment of utter stupidity. However, when James is at his best he is England’s best goalkeeper and he is very accomplished.

At 38-years-old I think it would be fair to say that James is coming to the end of his career but he is expected to travel with the England squad to the World Cup in 2010, where he will still probably be the first choice keeper. His displays at Portsmouth last season were a major factor in Pompey’s FA Cup success and during this season he achieved a record number of Premier League appearances, surpassing a record previously held by Gary Speed.

In his time at Liverpool James earned the nickname ‘Calamity James’ and it dogged him throughout his career, still popping up occasionally now. What has really impressed me about James is the way he never seems to let a mistake bother him, he might make an embarrassing gaff one moment and then pull off a wonder save the next. With many goalkeepers, getting a name like ‘Calamity James’ and the constant criticism would put them off their game but James has always flourished wherever he has been and is still an outstanding shot-stopper.

Gareth Freeman writes for Betfair, the world’s best betting exchange. Get the latest insider scoop on all your favorite leagues at Betfair today!