Paul Robinson was born in Hull, England and graduated from the Leeds United soccer academy. Having proven himself to be a very confident and agile shot stopper, 27-year-old Paul Robinson has since matured into one of Europe's leading keepers. He worked hard to edge David James as the number one goalkeeper in England a few years ago. He played a key role in England's World Cup qualification and will be donning the Number 1 jersey when his team begin their challenge next month.



The goalkeeper has always been a vital aspect in determining a team's success or failure and this is also expected to be the case in the World Cup as the best teams in the planet battle it out for soccer supremacy. England will be stepping into the pitch with what has been termed the ?best English squad since 1970? and Robinson will also have to rise to the occasion and live up to his reputation as the ?best goalkeeper England have had?.

Robinson made his England debut as a second-half substitute against Australia in 2003 while still with Leeds United and after a successful first season with Tottenham, he overtook David James as England's first choice goalkeeper in September 2004.

Popularly known as ?Robbo?, he hails from Beverly in East Yorkshire, England and played for Leeds from 1997 ? 2004 before he transferred to Tottenham in May 2004 for a fee of ?1,500,000. He set a new record for being the highest paid goalkeeper in England a couple of years back. ?The World Cup is the biggest stage for any footballer and it is their dream to play in the final ? I am no different. I have worked very hard to get here with England and at this point, it is even more important that I work even harder to stay here. Things can change in a blink of an eye in football and no one knows that more than me,? Robinson said in a recent interview.

During the world cup qualification matches, Robinson played in 9 matches and displayed excellent form. He did not let in a single goal in 6 of those matches. With such impression form, Robinson will no doubt be a stabilizing force for England between the posts.

In such a high-profile spectator sport like the World Cup, the expectations of the fans and England football officials are very high. There is immense pressure from all sides to do well. Under such circumstances, mental training becomes increasingly important in order for players to stay calm and keep cool despite the pressure.

?You have to be very mentally strong to be a keeper at this level. We are there to be shot at and that's the part of things we have to accept. You just have to try and make sure mistakes don't happen?, said Robinson