Player profile

Green showed his sense of humour by having the phrase 'England’s No 6' sewn into his gloves after he was left out of Fabio Capello’s first England squad in February 2008, but he has been elevated to first choice in the last year.

He made his first England start last June in the 4-0 qualifying win in Kazakhstan after David James elected to have shoulder surgery. Green retained his place for the next five games, although he became the first England goalkeeper to be sent off when red-carded for a foul in the qualifying defeat against Ukraine.

This will be his first World Cup, having withdrawn from the 2006 squad after rupturing his groin a fortnight before the tournament while taking a goal-kick during a B international against Belarus. He had to wait four years between his first and second caps, the latter coming against Spain in February 2009.

He has made 126 consecutive Premier League appearances for West Ham since February 2007, having joined the club from Norwich for £2m the previous summer.

Green has already reached a peak in Africa - climbing the 5,895m-high Mount Kilimanjaro in support of a health charity two summers ago. He also visited slum areas of Nairobi, and entertained the locals by scoring with a 45-yard volley while playing for the British consulate against amateur side Railway Wanderers.