James ready to take back seat

03 June 2010 09:22
Portsmouth goalkeeper David James insists he is prepared to sit on the bench in South Africa if it can help England to World Cup success.[LNB] The Pompey captain was named in Fabio Capello's final 23-man squad on Tuesday alongside fellow stoppers Robert Green and Joe Hart. [LNB]And while the Italian boss is yet to announce who will take the number one jersey for the tournament, James is adamant he is more interested in how the team performs than seeking individual glory. [LNB]"There have been times in the past, in earlier years, when you would just hate the person in front of you," James told The Guardian. [LNB]"You'd sit on the bench saying, 'Go on, let one in. Go on, through your legs,' all that stuff, and wish them all the worst things in the world. But in the end, you just think: 'Why would you want them doing that to you?' [LNB]"I don't want to look at this World Cup as a personal mission. I look at it as a team mission. Yes, you want to be number one, you want to play every game and lift the World Cup, but if that doesn't happen it will be a case of: 'If I'm there, my contribution will have aided whatever success we have.' [LNB]"Within training, you are preparing yourself each time to play and with Fabio's selection process, until the team is announced, you are never actually sure, which is good." [LNB]James believes England have benefitted from Capello's straight-talking approach, adding: "He's the boss and that's it, which is fine. [LNB]"The things that he has put in place are about respect for each other and he will also tell you how he feels at any given moment. [LNB]"He keeps everything clear, you don't have any ambiguous situations. [LNB]"He gives the players the environment to work in, he arms us with the knowledge of the opposition and he trusts that the ability we have is good enough to beat that opposition."

Source: Team_Talk