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Foreign ‘keepers stop English talent: Kahn

JOHANNESBURG) - Too many foreign goalkeepers in the Premier League have stopped the English producing world-class shot-stoppers, Oliver Kahn said Friday on the eve of England’s World Cup clash with Germany.

Fabio Capello’s England take on their old rivals Germany in a Round of 16 clash in Bloemfontein on Sunday with a World Cup quarer-final place at stake against either Argentina or Mexico.

Capello is set to start with veteran David James in goal, while Germany will have 24-year-old Manuel Neuer, who began the season as third-choice, between the posts.

Portsmouth’s James, who turns 40 in August, came into the World Cup side only after West Ham goalkeeper Robert Green’s now-infamous howler against the United States which gifted the Americans the equaliser in the 1-1 draw.

Germany’s Kahn says England have failed to produce a world-class goalkeeper in recent years because the top Premier League clubs often rely on foreign imports rather than nurturing English talent.

“England always had a tradition of great goalkeepers,” said ex-Germany captain Kahn, who led his country to the 2002 World Cup final, but retired in 2008.

“David Seaman played at the same time as me, and before him there was Peter Shilton, Gordon Banks and others.

“I don’t know how or why they came to stop producing world-class goalkeepers, but it seems to me it is very difficult to develop one when all the leading clubs have foreign players in goal.

“It makes it hard for a goalkeeper to establish himself at the top if Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool all use goalkeepers from other countries.”

His old club Bayern Munich have been linked to Schalke 04’s Neuer in recent months and Kahn says the German giants always try to have Germany’s Number One goalkeeper in their squad which benefits the national side.

“In Germany it is a little bit different. Bayern Munich, for instance, always try to have the first-choice German in their goal, and that gives German footballers something to aim for,” said Kahn.

Sunday’s Round of 16 clash promises to be a tense affair between two sides who have struggled for form in South Africa, but although Neuer came to the World Cup with just five caps to his name, his lack of experience is not proving a hindrance.

The Schalke shot-stopper was between the posts when Germany hammered England 4-0 in the final of the European Under-21 Championships in June 2009.

“Neuer may be young but he has plenty of positive experiences behind him and he was a European champion last summer with the Under-21s,” said Kahn.

“He has not had too many negatives in his career so far.

“He is still learning, but he is positive and he sees himself as a winner.”