FRASER FORSTER'S Celtic team-mates reacted with delight yesterday after their goalkeeper's maiden call-up for England.
The 24-year-old, 6ft 7in custodian was included in Roy Hodgson's squad alongside Joe Hart and John Ruddy for next week's World Cup qualifiers against San Marino and Poland, due recognition for his fine form for the club in the past 12 months and a rare privilege for a Clydesdale Bank Premier League player.
Last night, Joe Ledley said Forster was the best goalkeeper he had played in front of, and said it may not be too long before Gary Hooper follows him into the squad. "We saw Fraser this morning and he told us the news," said Ledley. "We are so happy for him. He's easily the best goalkeeper I've worked with.
"He's already shown people here and the England manager what he can do but, hopefully, he can prove how good he is again in the Champions League ties against Barcelona. He just keeps getting better and better.
"It must give Gary hope to know that Roy Hodgson is looking up here," added the Welshman. "He's probably been our best player this season, scoring goals and working hard and setting goals up. It's only a matter of time until he gets his call-up. If he keeps doing what he's doing for Celtic, he could follow Fraser into the squad."
Ledley's sentiments were echoed by James Forrest. "I'm absolutely buzzing for Fraser," said the Celtic and Scotland winger. "He deserves it and I think all the boys at Celtic would say the same. He is really good to work with. We always knew he would get into the England squad sometime. Maybe I will be able to score against him at Wembley next summer . . ."
Should he make it on to the pitch in either part of the double header, Forster will join his former assistant manager Alan Thompson as the only player to have pulled on an England jersey while playing for the Parkhead club. Thompson earned his only cap in 2004, playing 60 minutes during a 1-0 defeat for Sven-Goran Eriksson's side in Sweden. The likes of Chris Sutton, Steve Guppy, Dion Dublin, Ian Wright and John "Jack" Reynolds, who played for Ireland in the 1800s before realising he was English, have all played for Celtic and England, but not during their time in Glasgow.
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