| DAVID SEAMAN | |||
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Birthplace : 19.9.63. Rotherham Height : 193cm Weight : 93kg Position : Goalkeeper His reliability in goal has seen him become one of the best goalkeepers in the world and current England Number 1. Seaman began his career at Leeds, moving onto Peterborough for �4000 in 1982, without making a senior appearance. Regular first team football shot his transfer fee up to six figures in two seasons as he moved to Birmingham City. His first England cap came in November 1988 against Saudia Arabia, when David had played two seasons at QPR - moving for �225,000. The following year he joined Arsenal for �1,300,000 and that is where he has made himself a permanent fixture since. "Seaman is the ultimate student of the game," says Arsenal goalkeeping coach Bob Wilson, "and he never ceases to amaze me in training. Ultimately, you cannot be a goalkeeper without looking as if you belong. David Seaman doesn't always get the praise he deserves because he makes things look so easy. He just belongs." Seaman's greatest asset, says Wilson, is his upper body strength. "It's the kind of strength that makes the difference between parrying a shot so it hits the post and goes in, and parrying it so that it hits the post and goes to safety. It's that very strength that makes him such a formidable penalty-saver." David collected his 60th international cap in England's 1-1 draw with France in Paris. After conceding a goal to his Arsenal team mate Emmanuel Petit, Seaman had to make two dramatic saves to keep England in the game. A calf injury sustained during pre-season preparations caused David to miss Arsenal�s opening dozen games of the 1999-2000 season. Once he was fully fit, however, he again proved to be the number one goalkeeper in England. Relaxed and composed both on and off the field, he makes a massive contribution to the continued success achieved by the Highbury club. A strong, brave �keeper who is fast off his line, he has safe hands and a strong kick. His distribution is excellent, varying between long and short throws to the wing backs and long kicks to the strikers. Many attacking moves originate from his foresight. A great shot stopper, he is exceptionally agile for a big man. His breathtaking save diving low to his left in the away leg of Arsenal�s UEFA Cup tie against Deportivo La Coruna was his save of the season and a fine demonstration of his agility. David won a further seven caps for England, appearing in the opening two games of Euro 2000 before a late injury forced him out of the crucial match against Romania. |
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