Sven On England Battle

Sven Andersson thinks that David James might have to be patient in his battle for England's number one jersey.

Talking of his Hammers colleague, and the chances of his Swedish compatriot Sven-Goran Eriksson picking him, he says:

"He is a very good goalkeeper; he has been brilliant after he came back from the injury."

But he adds:

"I think he will be in the World Cup squad, of course, but maybe they will play David Seaman though I think David James is the better goalkeeper right now.

"But I think Seaman will get selected because he has played so many games before; they are both very good keepers, but Seaman has played a lot and I think that will count."

Sven, who joined on a free transfer from Swedish club Helsinborgs in the winter, is enjoying his English experience, ensconced in a flat in Docklands.

"I am very satisfied with life here, very happy; it is nice to be here watching how things happen," he says.

He insists he is not frustrated by the lack of games, adding:

"I am training well every day but I haven't played so many games for the reserves; but I am doing my best, and I knew before that the chances of playing weren't that big, so there is nothing to say about that.

"Every team here has a lot of goalkeepers; Liverpool have five - that is the biggest difference, the number of goalkeepers here, because in Sweden we only have two at a club.

"Other than that things are almost the same in England."

Could he be persuaded to stay at Upton Park another year?

"I don't know about that," he smiles, "but we will see if I play somewhere else or go back to Helsinborgs as a coach - I don't really know yet."

"It could be one option, but you never know what will happen."

Although the veteran stopper does not train the youngsters as such - "we have Ludo to do that" - he says, he does give them advice.

"We speak a lot with each other, me, Steve Bywater, and David Forde, the young goalkeepers."