I'd rather lose World Cup than pick Almunia

IT’S impossible to find an English football team that does not have a sizeable contingent of foreign players these days.

And they have helped make our Premier League the best and most entertaining in the world.

It is never going to change and that is not a bad thing. We have thrown open the doors to quality players from around the world.

Flags of all nations flutter from the stands of every club in the country.

But there is absolutely no way that should extend to the England team. An exclusion zone needs to be enforced around Wembley.

I am referring to the repeated calls for Arsenal’s Spanish keeper Manuel Almunia to be called up for England — simply because he has lived here for five years.

I don’t care. I could not disagree more. He is not English.

If it came to a choice between England winning the World Cup with a Spanish keeper or not winning it, I’d rather not win.

For a start, if we cannot produce our own footballers, our own generation of keepers to play for England, then we don’t deserve to win anything in the first place.

And secondly, I would not be interested in an England team that was full of non-English players.

You’re English if you were born here or your mum and dad were born here.

In that case, I don’t care if your family comes from India, Australia, Pakistan or Jamaica — you’re English in my mind.

But someone like Almunia, who comes here from Spain and spends a few years playing for Arsenal, does not suddenly become English.

I have nothing against Almunia. He is a good keeper and he had a good game for Arsenal on Wednesday night against Manchester United.

But he is no better, in fact I don’t think he is as good as, David James, the current England No 1.

David is English, Manuel isn’t.

Almunia should play for Spain, that is his country.

But he is not exactly knocking on their door, is he?

I would rather have James in goal for England than him. David is a better keeper.

Almunia has had a tough job filling the boots of Jens Lehmann at Arsenal. Maybe if Lehmann had stayed another year he could play for England as well!

I just wouldn’t be interested in a World Cup in which England had a Spanish goalkeeper.

This is just my personal opinion.

Our energy should not be spent trying to process a passport of convenience for Manuel Almunia to play for England.

We should be devoting our time and investment into finding and developing the future generation of England goalkeepers.

I hear that Norwich City have a couple of good young kids we can bring through.

Yes, the Three Lions coach Fabio Capello is Italian. That is different.

Playing in the England team is completely different.

What can I say Manuel? ‘Lo Siento’ — sorry old chum.

HARRY REDKNAPP is an ambassador of E.ON’s Family Football campaign. E.ON is encouraging families to watch The FA Cup Final together by offering a range of benefits via www.familyfootball.co.uk

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