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Banks fears for England keeper stocks

England World Cup winner Gordon Banks has concerns over the state of the nation's goalkeeping stocks.

The Leicester and Stoke legend said: "If foreign managers keep buying foreign keepers, we'll never have a top-quality England No 1.

"It really disappoints me when I see Spurs paying all that money for a foreign goalkeeper when they've Paul Robinson in their squad.

"Unless we start to give chances to the youngsters who come through our academies, we're never going to have top goalkeepers like Iker Casillas playing for England.

"People ask who my first choice would be at the moment and it's a really difficult one. There are youngsters coming through but you need a lot of games behind you to start playing for England."

Banks also told The Sun: "I kept a close eye on (Ben) Foster at Watford and then back at (Manchester) United. I felt he was really starting to look the part when he got injured.

"If he'd carried on like he had done, I think he could be in the United and England team now. I hope he is given the chance to come good again.

"In the meantime, there's not many stand out to me.

"People talk to me about Joe Hart at Manchester City and Carson. But they are only young and, to me, simply don't have enough experience."

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