'Calamity James' as he became known, had such a torrid time at Liverpool and appeared so low on confidence that you wouldn't put money on him to catch the proverbial cold.

But a £1.8m move to Aston Villa in June 1999 as a replacement for Mark Bosnich was the signal for a resurgeance of Lazarus-like proportions.

James had originally made his name with Watford, and Liverpool signed him for £1m in 1992. It was while he was at Anfield that he won his only England cap in a 2-0 win against Mexico in March 1997.

But James soon gained a reputation for clangers and was dropped for Brad Friedel who was himself ousted by Sander Westerveld.

While his shot-stopping has always been outstanding, he developed a Dracula-like fear of crosses, and appeared uneasy at such a high-profile club as Liverpool.

Aston Villa appears to have suited him much better and his form this season has been his best ever.

There was still some surprise when he was named in Keegan's squad and doubts must remain about his temperament on the big stage.