David Seaman has urged England goalkeeper Joe Hart to "show the world what he can do" in Brazil this summer.
Twenty-seven-year-old Hart was dropped for part of last season by his Manchester City boss Manuel Pellegrini following a string of errors, but he returned to play a key role as the Citizens won their second Premier League title in three campaigns.
Even when benched for his club side, Hart remained number one in the thinking of England manager Roy Hodgson and, with the World Cup on the horizon, Seaman has backed his fellow custodian to take his "brilliant" form into the tournament.
"Joe's standards have not really dropped, it's just that he made a few mistakes in a short space of time. The criticism built up because of that. When he was dropped at Manchester City, I wasn't happy with that. As a goalkeeper, I always wanted to be in goal, even if I'd made a mistake the week before because I wanted to get out there and show people that I could still do it," 75-capped Seaman told Sports Mole.
"Since Joe has come back, he's been brilliant. He's gone on to win the league again and his England performances have improved. I'm excited for him because he can show the world what he can do now at the World Cup."
Hart is one of three goalkeepers in the squad, along with Fraser Forster and Ben Foster. It meant that there was no room for John Ruddy, something that deeply disappointed the Norwich City stopper.
However, despite believing that Ruddy will have a chance to prove his worth in the future, Seaman has insisted that Hodgson was right to select the trio of keepers that are bound for Brazil.
"Obviously you go with Joe and in Forster you've got a guy that has played in some big games for Celtic against the likes of Barcelona. Foster has got England experience, so, for me, Hodgson has gone with the right three," he added.
"This wasn't Ruddy's time, but later down the line it will be. He had a lot to do for Norwich last season and he's shown people what he is capable of. His time will come."
David Seaman and top female freestyler Laura Biondo are working with Mini Babybel this summer, offering people the chance to win one of 15,000 free mini-footballs through their exciting on-pack promotion. Former England international David is encouraging families to get out and play football and be inspired by the skills demonstrated by Laura in the latest Babybel video. For more information visit www.babybel.co.uk.
Liam Apicella
