Ruddy insists move south will earn Forster caps

Sports Journalist

Thursday 24 May 2012

FRASER Forster, the goalkeeper Celtic are hopeful of signing on a permanent deal, has been warned he must return to England if he wants to win international honours.

Fraser Forster was overlooked by England for the European Championships

Custom byline text:

Matthew Lindsay

Forster's representative held talks with Neil Lennon in Glasgow yesterday about the prospect of the player completing a transfer from Newcastle United to the Scottish champions. A fee, believed to be around £2m, already has been agreed between the clubs and personal terms are all that remain to be settled.

Having had an erratic debut season after first moving on loan in 2010, the 24-year-old was outstanding both domestically and in Europe for Lennon's side last term. However, John Ruddy, the former Motherwell player who has earned a call-up to the England squad for Euro 2012 as a result of his exceptional displays for Norwich City this season, believes his compatriot should return home to further his England ambitions.Forster was last week omitted from Roy Hodgson's 23-man squad for the European Championship finals in Poland and Ukraine next month. The inclusion of Robert Green of West Ham United, Manchester City's Joe Hart and even Ruddy was understandable. However, that Jack Butland, the 19-year-old Birmingham City player who spent the last season on loan at League Two Cheltenham, was named on the standby list was bitterly disappointing for Forster. Ruddy feels the fact Forster, whom he succeeded at Norwich, is playing in the Clydesdale Bank Premier League counted against him and he urged his countryman to return south if he wants to force his way into his national squad. "That's something he's got to look at," he said. "But I think you'll always be a step behind if you're in the SPL trying to break into the England squad. That's no disrespect to the SPL because it helped me so much as a player – and has helped so many other players. But I feel if you can get into the Premier League down here it helps you. They say it's a goldfish bowl with Rangers and Celtic, but down here everything's scrutinised. There are highlights shown in every country of the world, all the attention you get from being in the Premier League is magnified tenfold."I don't know how many times he [Forster] has been scouted or looked at, but in the last two years he's been on loan at Celtic he's done exceptionally well. If he continues to develop, whether that be at Celtic or somewhere else, he's got a fantastic opportunity."I think he's got the potential to be a Premier League keeper. People used to say to me when I was younger that I had the frame to go a long way. He's certainly got the frame. He has had two very good years at Celtic. He's capped it off this year with the title win. He'll take that confidence into wherever he'll be next year and continue with that development. But, as I said, he may struggle to get into the England squad playing in Scotland."Meanwhile, Ruddy has paid tribute to Craig Brown, the former Scotland manager he worked under at Motherwell, for helping him to force his way into the England squad. "My time at Motherwell was pivotal in my development as a goalkeeper," he said. "It was the right move to make at that time in my career. Having worked with him at Stockport County, Jim Gannon took me to Motherwell but it didn't quite work out for him and after six months Craig Brown came in. Craig and his assistant, Archie Knox, were top drawer. It was a pleasure to work with them, and everyone at Motherwell. It was a real learning curve."It was a great experience to work with Craig and Archie and they really helped my confidence, along with Stewart Kerr the goalkeeping coach. Craig gave me a lot of self-belief when I was at Motherwell. Some of the words he said will always stay with me. I'll take them with me into whatever path my career goes now and, obviously, now that's the international set-up which is a fantastic opportunity."

Commenting & Moderation

We moderate all comments on HeraldScotland on either a pre-moderated or post-moderated basis. If you're a relatively new user then your comments will be reviewed before publication and if we know you well then your comments will be subject to moderation only if other users or the moderators believe you've broken the rules, which are available here.

Moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours. Please be patient if your posts are not approved instantly.

Ruddy insists move south will earn Forster caps

Commenting & Moderation

MOST READ

SPONSORED LINKS

MOST COMMENTED