West Ham stopper Green desperate to put American nightmare behind him

West Ham goalkeeper Robert Green believes he has put his American World Cup nightmare behind him and is desperate to make amends.

There were 40 minutes on the clock on Saturday when Clint Dempsey's tame 25-yard effort squirmed beyond the 30-year-old and in to the net to rescue a point for USA against England in Rustenburg.

It was a terrible mistake from the Hammers stopper, but the former Norwich man is confident he has the mental strength to recover.

"Worse things have happened to people. It is about carrying on and working for the team and doing as well as you can from then on," he said.

"Thankfully I didn't let it affect my performance. It was about mental strength.

"I saw the ball coming, thought I had it covered, but missed it. I saw it all the way, it was my mistake, no-one else's but what can I do?

"If I was younger it really might affect me very badly, but all you can do is turn round and pick the ball out of the back of the net and get on with it.

"You have to keep strong and move on. It was my mistake I must live with it."

I walked in at half-time, said sorry to the chaps and I apologise to however many million people at home as well.

"But the important thing is you are ready and I am willing to work mentally on it. It's not a problem. I've done it before, I'm 30 years old and I've learned to deal with these things."

And Green is hopeful his error will not mean he is replaced between the sticks by either of his rivals, David James or Joe Hart.

"The manager has to answer whether he will stick with me," he said.

"I'll be prepared, be ready and be prepared just the same, wanting to play.

"I'm desperately keen to play, I want to play every game I possibly can. This is the biggest stage in the world."

"You don't want to make another mistake like that in the next match - if I am selected. I don't often get things as wrong as that.

"I'll be twice as determined for this not to happen again.

"Of course, this makes me more determined to play next time to right the wrong.

"You want to be a man about it and you want to stand up. You want to be tested. Playing lovely football and making wonderful saves is not a challenge.

"This is a challenge and this is why you are a footballer. That's what football's all about.