Robert green goalkeeper biography samples

Long before Chelsea had even decided whether to extend Rob Green’s contract, the veteran keeper had a different vision for what his life was going to look like.

There are many who think nothing is as pretty to look at as the beautiful game but try telling that to Green, who has been an avid art collector for over a decade.

Indeed, such is his love of the craft, the former England goalkeeper has now started a business where he sells pieces to footballers.

“I’ve loved art for years,” he tells The Athletic. “When I was living in London during my West Ham days (), I was introduced to this artist and he asked me who my heroes were. I told him it was Alan Partridge and I ended up with a foot painting of him in my flat on the Isle of Dogs. I think it cost a few grand. As far as extravagances go, it wasn’t too bad! I’ve bought a lot more since then.

“In those days, I’d often take a Thames Clipper boat to get to the Tate Modern or Tate Britain and walk around looking at things.”

Green was a popular member of the Chelsea dressing room last season, even though he didn’t make a single appearance.

There was a strong chance he’d get another deal due to the club’s transfer ban from FIFA but with his 40th birthday on the horizon (in January), Green wanted to retire for good in order to be around more for his wife and two children.

It was Green who told Chelsea’s goalkeeping coach Hilario of his intentions to bring the relationship to an end. “He just couldn’t believe someone was saying ‘no’ to Chelsea,” Green adds. “He was telling me, ‘We haven’t even decided yet’ but I emphasised the point that I was making the decision for them.”

Moving into the art world instead is still a surprise, though. In the past, he’d spoken of ambitions to become a chief executive of a football club, having studied for a business management

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER
Updated:

If England goalkeeper Rob Green feels he isn't beating himself up enough over his horror gaffe during last night's World Cup match, all he has to do is look on the internet.

Gleeful Americans have already began to take the mick out of the hapless keeper in a series of internet virals.

One such viral has Green scrambling to save the ball as it trickes over the line, with the caption: 'Soccer and oil spills: England just can't contain them.'

Another show's TouTube celebrity 'OMG Cat' watching Green's error with its increasingly horrified expression.

Some others, however, are a little less amusing.

One viral shows a series of idyllic photos of American life - a day at the beach, a pretty woman cooking, cute animals - against images of riots in Britain and burning buildings.

The caption, for reasons known only to the viral artist, reads 'It's a tie: nobody care here'.

Rob Green's nightmare started when Clint Dempsey cleverly spun away from Gerrard on 38 minutes, and sized up to shoot, and drove the ball towards the goal.

As it was not the sweetest strike in the world, most believed Green would scoop it up with little effort.

Inexplicably, however, Green fumbled the ball and it trickled into the back of the net. Green was left to collapse on the ground, his head in his hands, as Dempsey wheeled away in celebration.

It will be an often replayed moment of this year's World Cup, and one that Green will have to live with - but one that Americans will s

You don't have to be mad to be a goalkeeper, but it certainly helps. As well as having the curious desire of wanting to stop goals, rather than scoring them, keepers must possess incredibly thick skin, plenty of self-confidence and, perhaps most importantly of all, a high pain threshold. Arguably the most physical position on the pitch, goalkeepers throw themselves around for 90 minutes, regularly get clattered by opponents at set-pieces and will always try to win the ball, even if it means taking a whack in the process.

It can be quite a dangerous job, with injuries occurring as a result of a goalkeeper simply trying to do their job. Who can forget the moment that Petr Cech fractured his skull against Reading after he collided with the boot of Stephen Hunt? Even without gruesome incidents like that, though, the wear and tear that the gruelling position takes is pretty nasty.

In , BT Sport, now known as TNT Sports, produced a documentary which turned the spotlight on goalkeepers, with several former shot-stoppers sharing their experiences after playing in goal, describing some of the brutal ways in which the position impacted their hands. Rob Green was one of the individuals included and his finger following his incredible career has to be seen to be believed. More recently, he appeared in a special for Amazon Prime and again showed the world his finger, explaining how he picked up the injury which left his finger in a nasty condition.

Former goalkeepers show their fingers and hands