Premiership keepers vie for Seaman's England spot

James could offer interim solution but an outstanding long-term candidate to be Eriksson's No 1 has yet to establish himself

Cometh the hour, cometh the ponytail. That was the resounding verdict last season and this summer whenever Arsène Wenger or Sven Goran Eriksson had to write the first name on a crucial team-sheet.

David Seaman, 38 years old, veteran of 684 League games dating back to 1982, not to mention 73 England internationals, is clearly not in the first flush of youth. But his was the presence called upon when it mattered.

He played just one FA Cup game last season. It was at the Millennium Stadium against Chelsea. You can field tiros in the early rounds but a make-or-break final for the Double? Seaman's your man.

He played just one international friendly in a World Cup build-up year that was chock full of them. Eriksson kept telling all the doubters: "I know what he can do. Friendlies are for assessing the others". But still the speculation persisted that Seaman was on the verge of being replaced.

The World Cup arrived and he played every second, including the dreadful couple where Ronaldinho saw him off his line and lobbed the sweetest goal Brazil had seen since the one they had scored earlier.

As Seaman stood on pitch afterwards, weeping, inconsolable, the epitome of harsh reality gatecrashing a dream, there was good reason for thinking he might never play for England again.

And yet. Last Sunday he picked up his first winners' medal of 2002-03 in the Community Shield. He has signed a new one-year contract at Highbury and appears safe in his berth as Arsenal's No 1, Eriksson's prerequisite for continuing with England. He is also one of only a handful of even vaguely qualified custodians for his national side over the next two years.

So when exactly will a long-term successor emerge, and from where? Not from among the 14 non-English first-choice Premiership custodians – Enckelman, Friedel, Jaaskelainen, Kiely, De Goey, Van der Sar, Dudek, Schmeichel, Barthez, Schwarzer, Given, Jones, Sorensen and Sullivan. And not, with respect to Ian Bennett and Russell Hoult, at Birmingham or West Bromwich Albion. Gordon Bennett and Russell Crowe are more likely.

Which leaves four men who are good enough and can expect to play regular club football in major competitions, the two fundamentals for Eriksson. Seaman is joined in that quartet by his understudies from the World Cup, Nigel Martyn and David James, and by Richard Wright, his former understudy at Arsenal who will start this season as Everton's No 1.

This is where matters could become tricky for Eriksson. Supposing Seaman's form dips or he gets injured and a similar fate befalls one of the others, who does he call as a third goalkeeper? Who is waiting in the wings should Seaman or Martyn suddenly retire? Who becomes the first choice?

James, 32, is one medium-term option, probably ahead of Martyn, who at 36 has spent six years as Seaman's understudy without a consistent breakthrough. But Wright, at 24, could yet shake things up. Whether this transpires depends entirely on his impact at Everton, where he needs to lose the frailties he displayed in some games for Arsenal last season and stake his claim as Seaman's successor. He has already failed to do so once at club level. He may not get another chance.

Beyond that there are two obvious candidates for the future in Liverpool's Chris Kirkland and Leeds United's Paul Robinson, but circumstances need to change for them to pass the "regular top-class football" test this season. Their tender years – they are 21 and 22 respectively – would not count against them by itself. Eriksson has already shown he will give youth a chance on the biggest stage of all. But neither seems likely, barring injury, to dethrone their clubs' first choices, Jerzy Dudek and Martyn.

Which means the pair, both established Under-21 players, will continue to impress and possibly earn "for the experience" call-ups to the senior squad. But until they start making regular Premiership appearances – which Robinson may soon – they will not make a full international transition. It goes without saying that the same applies to other promising youngsters such as Arsenal's Stuart Taylor and Graham Stack, and West Ham's Stephen Bywater. Manchester City's Nicky Weaver, a former tip for the top, will also struggle to impress as second choice at Maine Road behind Peter Schmeichel.

But then who knows what the fates will conjure? Two seasons ago Robinson was called into Leeds' Champions' League side when Martyn was injured and dazzled with fantastic displays, not least away at Lazio.

"If there is one player who has caught Sven's eye, it is Robinson," Roberto Mancini, Eriksson's former assistant at Lazio, said afterwards. "When we were told how young he was, we could hardly believe it."

As Seaman might have pointed out, it is how you perform that matters, not the date on your birth certificate.

In safe hands? Eriksson's goalkeeping options

England's No 1

David Seaman

(Arsenal)

Age: 38; Caps: 73

Games last season: Premiership 17; FA Cup 1; Champions' League 7; International friendly 1; World Cup qualifiers 2; World Cup finals 5.

Likely to remain Arsenal's No 1, injury or big dip in form permitting. Age not an issue in itself. Sven Goran Eriksson has said that being Arsenal No1 could be his passport to remaining England No 1.

World Cup reserve

Nigel Martyn

(Leeds United)

Age: 36; Caps: 23

Games last season: Premiership 38; FA Cup 1; Worthington Cup 2; Uefa Cup 8; International friendlies 6; World Cup qualifiers 1.

He was the last man in Leeds' mean defence last season, one of the tightest in the league in recent years. If his days at the club are numbered, as seems possible, long-term international hopes are virtually non-existent.

World Cup reserve

David James

(West Ham United)

Age: 32; Caps: 9

Games last season: Premiership 26; FA Cup 3; International friendlies 5.

Sound at club level, where the No 1 shirt is guaranteed barring injury. Arguably brighter future than Martyn at international level but could still only be a transitional option ­ if Seaman falters ­ rather than England's next enduring custodian.

Young contender 1

Richard Wright

(Everton)

Age: 24; Caps: 2 (plus 15 for U-21s)

Games last season (club matches for Arsenal): Premiership 12; FA Cup 5; Champions' League 4; Worthington Cup 1; International friendly 1.

A make-or-break season following his move from Highbury to Goodison, where the lure was regular first-team football. Excel at Everton and eradicate the errors of last year and he could become England's next No 1. Falter and the chance could be gone.

Young contender 2

Chris Kirkland

(Liverpool)

Age: 21; Caps: 0 (5 for U-21s)

Games last season: Premiership 1 (plus 1 First Division game for Coventry); Worthington Cup 1; Champions' League 2.

Gérard Houllier paid Coventry £6m to have Kirkland as a reserve, which tells its own story. Club appearances will be limited but England U-21 caps should not be. Could have four World Cups ahead of him but may not come into senior England reckoning until after Euro 2004.

Young contender 3

Paul Robinson

(Leeds United)

Age: 22; Caps: 0 (11 for U-21s)

Games last season: None at club or senior international level. But excelled in the Champions' League in 2000-01 and did competently in 16 Premiership games.

Biding his time to step into the keeper's jersey in the Elland Road first team. If Martyn leaves Leeds, as now seems possible, it will provide the younger man with the perfect opportunity to stake his England claims on permanent basis.

Outsider 1

Stuart Taylor

[Arsenal)

Age: 21

Caps: 0 (3 for U-21s)

Games last season: Premiership 10; FA Cup 1; Champions' League 2; Worthington Cup 2.

Deputised at least once in every club competition last season when Seaman and Wright were unavailable. Arsène Wenger's hiring of Fabian Carini on loan from Juventus suggests Taylor will not be the automatic reserve but he has time on his side. Another for the long-term.

Outsider 2

Nicky Weaver

[Manchester City]

Age: 23;

Caps: 0 (10 for U-21s)

Games last season: First Division 25; FA Cup 2; Worthington Cup 2.

Peter Schmeichel's arrival at Maine Road will limit his first-team football and thus any chance of consistently impressing Eriksson. Weaver was touted a few years ago as a bright contender but really needs to make a mark soon to stand any chance.

Outsider 3

Stephen Bywater

Club: (West Ham United)

Age: 21

Caps: 0 (4 for U-21s)

Games last season: None at club or senior international level.

The longest shot of the nine featured here. His future, as for several of the others, will depend on waiting for opportunities at club level (or going on loan to find them) and then making the most of them when they arrive.