CRAIG GORDON can become the best goalkeeper in Britain, according to new boss Roy Keane.
The 24-year-old Scotland international stopper has made a huge impact on Wearside since his move south of the Border from Hearts last month in a deal worth up to £9 million – a British record fee for a keeper.
At a time when England goalkeepers Paul Robinson and David James have come in for some stick, with Robinson’s form coming under scrutiny and James still suffering from the “Calamity James’” label he earned earlier in his career, Keane defended both.
But the Sunderland boss – who played in front of some of the best keepers in the world in his time at Manchester United, including Peter Schmeichel and Fabien Barthez – also believes that Gordon can go on to earn the “Best of British” tag.
“I think the England goalkeepers who have come in for criticism recently are bloody good goalkeepers,” said Keane.
“But the age that our goalkeeper is and the type of character he is means he has a great future.
“He has all the attributes he needs to get to the top and he has got the right mentality too.
“I don’t think it’s right for me to say that he is the best goalkeeper, but we know that he has massive potential and he could go on to become the best.
“He has an inner confidence that says ‘I know I’m good, but I’m not bragging about it’ and that’s something that all the top players have.”
Gordon has been in impressive form since joining Sunderland, turning in man-of-the-match displays against both Liverpool and Manchester United despite ending up on the losing side in both games.
And Keane says Gordon’s temperament has helped endear him to the fans.
He said: “We are hoping that our goalkeeper will prove to be a top goalkeeper for Sunderland.
“Over the years, Sunderland fans have always loved a striker, a goalscorer, and hopefully that will never change but you can love goalkeepers as well, and I think they have taken to Craig.
“In training, he is very unassuming and he just quietly gets on with being a player and a top goalkeeper.
“The fans like that, it shows you don’t need to be flamboyant or have a different haircut every week.
“Craig is quite different to a lot of the goalkeepers that I have been involved with in that he doesn’t seem to get too high or too low.
“He’s got the balance right, and that’s something we are all striving for.
“He’s at a good age, he has got a lot of games behind him up in Scotland and he has played in some very big games for his national side and come through them with flying colours.”
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