Hart plans to play for keeps with England

Joe Hart believes he has the ability to finally end England’s long search for a goalkeeper capable of earning headlines for heroics rather than howlers.

Ever since Arsenal keeper David Seaman retired from international football in 2002, England have struggled to find a top-class replacement as bad luck and bad form left a string of contenders flat on their backs.

Now Manchester City keeper Hart is being tipped to be his country’s first choice for the next decade as he prepares for his competitive debut against Bulgaria today after rising from third-choice during the World Cup to first-choice for the Euro 2012 qualifiers.

It is a big test for the 23-year-old because he knows so many others have tried and failed over the years.

Paul Robinson briefly looked to have cracked it before a terrible error in Croatia in 2006 saw him air-kick Gary Neville’s back-pass and watch forlornly as the ball trickled into the net during a crucial defeat.

Not that Robinson is alone in the England hall of goalkeeping shame.

David James was unceremoniously dropped after a clanger in Austria in 2004 and never completely regained the nation’s trust, while Scott Carson made an even worse mistake at home to Croatia in 2007, allowing Niko Kranjcar’s weak shot to bounce off his gloves into the net as England failed to qualify for Euro 2008.

And, of course, Robert Green’s woeful mistake against the United States in South Africa which allowed Clint Dempsey to equalise in a 1-1 draw probably tops the lot.

Now it is Hart’s turn to try to restore the reputation of England’s goalkeepers.

“I know the history; you watch what happens, you hear what happens, but at the same time I don’t think you can live in fear. You’ve got to be ready to take on the challenge and do as best as you can,” he said.

“If you think ‘what if I do this wrong’ it’s a terrible way to think. You’ve just got to go out there and try and do your best, believe in what you can do.

“But if something did happen, I’d have to cross that bridge when I came to it and be strong and confident that it was something I could just sweep under the carpet.”

Euro 2012 fixtures

Group A
Playing today: Kazakhstan vs Turkey; Belgium vs Germany.
September 7: Turkey vs Belgium; Austria vs Kazakhstan; Germany vs Azerbaijan.

Group B
Playing today: Armenia vs Ireland; Andorra vs Russia; Slovakia vs Macedonia.
September 7: Russia vs Slovakia; Macedonia vs Armenia; Ireland vs Andorra.

Group C
Playing today: Faroe Islands vs Serbia; Estonia vs Italy; Slovenia vs Northern Ireland.
September 7: Serbia vs Slovenia; Italy vs Faroe Islands.

Group D
Playing today: Luxembourg vs Bosnia; France vs Belarus.
September 7: Belarus vs Romania; Albania vs Luxembourg; Bosnia vs France.

Group E
Playing today: Moldova vs Finland; Sweden vs Hungary; San Marino vs Netherlands.
September 7: Sweden vs San Marino; Hungary vs Moldova; Netherlands vs Finland.

Group F
Playing today: Greece vs Georgia; Latvia vs Croatia.
September 7: Georgia vs Israel; Malta vs Latvia; Croatia vs Greece.

Group G
Playing today: Montenegro vs Wales; England vs Bulgaria.
September 7: Bulgaria vs Montenegro; Switzerland vs England.

Group H
Playing today: Iceland vs Norway; Portugal vs Cyprus.
September 7: Denmark vs Iceland; Norway vs Portugal.

Group I
Playing today: Lithuania vs Scotland; Liechtenstein vs Spain.
September 7: Czech Republic vs Lithuania; Scotland vs Liechtenstein.