Robert Green, born on January 18, 1980 in Chertsey, Surrey, is an English footballer who plays as a goalkeeper. He began his international career in football with the England national team and was named in the squad that played a friendly match against Sweden in March 2004; however, a year later, Robert Green came on to the field as a substitute in a match against Columbia. He was included in the England national team for the 2006 World Cup, and in May of that year, he played for the England-B team in a match against Belarus. After recovering from an injury, Robert Green returned to the England-B team in May 2007 and played a match against Albania. In June 2007, he was a part of the England senior team that faced Brazil and Estonia, and on March 26, 2008, he played in a friendly match against France.
Robert Green joined the youth club of Norwich City in 1992 and progressed through the ranks to make his first-team debut on April 11, 1999 in a 0-0 draw against Ipswich Town. By 2001, he established himself as a first-choice goalkeeper and performed very well in the play-off campaign of the 2001-02 season against Birmingham City, in which Robert Green saved a goal from point-blank range. He continued his good form throughout the next season by maintaining 19 clean-sheets in the Football League Championship, beating his own record of 18 from the previous season.
Robert Green helped Norwich City in the 2003-04 Championship campaign, contributed to the club’s promotion to the Premier League and was voted third in the Norwich City Player of the Year awardees list by his fans. In the following season, he played 46 matches and gave away a mere 39 goals. His commendable performances won many matches for his club, and he was named the Man of the Match for the games against Derby County and Stoke City. Robert Green is fondly remembered for the save he made against Stoke City’s Gerry Taggart, and his performance also earned him a name in the Professional Football Association (PFA) First Division XI of the season. In spite of the relegation of the club during the 2004-05 season, Robert Green, with his top-class performance, helped his team win several matches.
After playing 241 games for Norwich City during his tenure of seven years, he signed with West Ham United in August 2006 for £2 million in transfer fees. Robert Green debuted for West Ham on October 22, 2006 in a match against Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane. The club managed to retain its Premier League status, owing to its 1-0 victory over Manchester United and Arsenal. Robert Green played a key role and maintained a clean-sheet in 9 of the 26 matches of the league campaign. During the 2007-08 season, he played in every Premier League match and saved three penalties shot by Reading’s Kevin Doyle, Portsmouth’s Benjani and Tottenham’s Jermaine Defoe. In May 2008, he was the 51st player to be awarded the Hammer of the Year, following a poll conducted by the West Ham United Supporters Club.
In the summer of 2008, Robert Green climbed Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania for the African Medical and Research Foundation (AMREF).
