Irons sure are in it for keeps

WEST HAM boast the best group of goalkeepers they have had for more than a decade after signing Alphonse Areola from Paris Saint-Germain and Scotland Under-21 star Brian Kinnear.

That is the view of former Hammers keeper Jimmy Walker, who says you have to go back to his days at the club with Roy Carroll, Rob Green and Shaka Hislop to remember such strength.

Walker (below), a Hammer from 2004 to 2009, said: “We had Roy, who was fantastic, Rob, who really made the best of himself, and Shaka, though he was coming to the end, was great.

“I had my role as second or third choice, I couldn’t quite get back to my levels after my knee injury in the play-off final win over Preston.

“This groups looks to be the best group since then. Lukasz Fabianski has been brilliant. He is a top-five keeper, but he’s 36, and when you get older things start to give way on you a bit, and he showed a few signs of that last season.

“All in all, he was fantastic and when he played well, he was excellent – you have to have a top goalkeeper to finish sixth. So he won’t give up the No.1 spot that easily and Areola (top) will have a fight to get the jersey.

“But Areola is 28, he has been at some big clubs – he played last season in the Premier League for Fulham and did really well – so he’s coming to play.

“When I was goalkeeping coach at Ipswich last year, we played against him in the Carabao Cup.

“I didn’t know much about him, but I looked at a few stats and clips, and in that game he looked very capable.

“I spoke to their boss Scott Parker and he said, ‘We had a great shout getting him’, so when he signed for West Ham I was really excited.

“If Areola gets in, you can’t see him being dislodged. Darren Randolph is capable and I’m impressed by Kinnear.”