David James (footballer)
Encyclopedia
David Benjamin James is an English
footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Bristol City
.
On 14 February 2009, he achieved the all-time Premier League appearance record with 536 appearances, overtaking Gary Speed
. He held this record until being overtaken by Ryan Giggs
on the 14th May 2011. He was capped 53 times by England between 1997 and 2010, and was first choice goalkeeper during both Euro 2004 and the 2010 World Cup
He gained a Football League Cup
winner's medal with Liverpool
in 1995, and an FA Cup
winner's medal with Portsmouth
in 2008 as well as runners-up medals with Aston Villa
in 2000, Liverpool in 1996 and Portsmouth in 2010. In 2010, he became the oldest goalkeeper to appear in the FA Cup Final
at 39.
James also holds the Premier League record for most clean sheets, with 173.
, Hertfordshire
, James signed as a trainee with Watford
upon leaving school and was first selected for the first team in 1989. In his days as a youth player, he helped Watford win the FA Youth Cup
. Following the departure of Tony Coton
, James made his league debut on 25 August 1990 in a 1–2 defeat with Millwall
, and his performance resulted in an England U-21
call-up for a match against the Republic of Ireland. He earned a total of ten caps for the U-21s.
At club level, James made 89 first-team appearances for Watford, and was named the club's Player of the Season for the 1990–91 season
, when he kept goal in all 46 Second Division
games as Watford escaped relegation. He was signed for £1.25m by Liverpool
on 6 July 1992. In 2008, James was inducted into the Watford Hall of Fame for his services to the club.
. After conceding twenty goals in eleven matches in the first half of the 1993–94
, he was dropped in favour of veteran Bruce Grobbelaar
, but was recalled to the starting lineup and kept his first clean sheet of the season in a 1–0 away win over Arsenal
on 31 January 1993, which included a penalty save. He also received a runners-up medal in 1996
in the FA Cup while being on the losing side against Man Utd.
James rose to fame together with Liverpool teammates Steve McManaman
, Jamie Redknapp
, and Robbie Fowler
, who were nicknamed the "Spice Boys
" – an epithet named after the Spice Girls
that was used by those who alleged the Liverpool team of the 1990s were more focused on partying than winning games. James' frequent blunders earned him the nickname Calamity James
. He put down his spate of errors to an overindulgence in playing computer games that in turn affected his concentration. Despite winning the 1995 Football League Cup
, James' hold on the starting position was put in jeopardy with the acquisition of Brad Friedel
. On 23 June 1999, after 277 games for Liverpool, he was sold to Aston Villa for £1.8m.
in the opening Premier League game, and was decisive in a penalty shoot-out
against Bolton Wanderers
in the 2000 FA Cup
semi-final, but then was at fault for Chelsea
's winning goal in the ensuing final, the last to be staged at the old Wembley.
After just two years and 85 appearances, James moved to West Ham United
for £3.5 million on 11 July 2001, signing a four year contract. However, a serious knee injury sustained while on international duty kept him out for several months.
. In season 2002–03 West Ham were relegated to the Championship
. James stayed with West Ham into season 2003–04 before returning to the Premier League, signing for Manchester City
on 14 January 2004 for an undisclosed fee as a replacement for the retired David Seaman
. He played 102 total games in all competitions for West Ham.
. Manchester City won only four of the seventeen matches that James started, two of which came after James saved penalties against Wolverhampton Wanderers
and Leicester City
.
On the last day of the 2004–05 season, James was playing for City who needed to beat Middlesbrough
to qualify for the UEFA Cup
. With five minutes remaining the score was 1–1, when City's manager Stuart Pearce
substituted midfielder Claudio Reyna
for the substitute goalkeeper Nicky Weaver
, and James was moved to play in attack for the remainder of the game. The unusual tactic almost worked when, in injury time, Middlesbrough defender Franck Queudrue
conceded a penalty by handling a cross that was aimed at James. However Robbie Fowler
's penalty was saved by Middlesbrough goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer
and so City did not qualify for the UEFA Cup.
On 10 August 2006, James, who had separated from his wife, stated that he needed to leave Manchester City to be closer to his children, who lived in London. Manchester City confirmed they had accepted a bid from Portsmouth
. Two days later, he joined Portsmouth for £1.2 million, signing a two-year deal.
's Match Of The Day
for wearing his hair in a style similar to that of fictional character Clark Kent
. He has explored the field of sport psychology
to improve his skills as a goalkeeper; he has claimed that this study of psychology has helped him become better at saving penalty kicks.
On 22 April 2007, James kept his 142nd Premier League
clean sheet in a goalless draw with Aston Villa, breaking the record of 141 previously held by David Seaman
. James has also made the most league appearances of any goalkeeper since the formation of the Premier League over fifteen seasons, in addition to conceding the most goals. On 30 January 2008, in a league match against Manchester United, he became the third player (after Gary Speed
and Ryan Giggs
) to cross the 500-match threshold.
James signed a one-year contract extension in May 2007, which kept him at Fratton Park
until the end of the 2008–09 season. He then played a role in Portsmouth's victory over Liverpool in the pre-season Barclays Asia Trophy 2007
saving two penalties in the ensuing shoot-out, and won the 2008 FA Cup
in a 1–0 victory over Cardiff City
at Wembley. On 8 November 2008, he made his hundredth appearance for Portsmouth.
He holds the distinction of twice having been the record holder for consecutive Premier League appearances, with 159 during his Liverpool days from February 1994 to February 1998, and 166 between Manchester City and Portsmouth from 2006 to 2008; both streaks were eventually topped by Chelsea
's Frank Lampard
and Aston Villa's Brad Friedel
, respectively.
On 14 February 2009 against Manchester City, James made his 536th Premier League appearance, breaking Gary Speed
's all-time record.
On 22 April 2009, Times Online named James as the 15th greatest player in Portsmouth's history.
James captained Portsmouth in the FA Cup Semi-final against Tottenham Hotspur where Portsmouth won 2–0 in extra time, describing the experience as "superb".
His contract expired at the end of the 2009–10 season, and he expressed interest in succeeding Avram Grant as Portsmouth manager, though this came to nothing. The club offered him a new playing contract, but withdrew the offer after he failed to commit to the club, therefore James left Portsmouth and became a Free Agent.
on 30 July 2010 to take effect 1 August with the option of a second year.
James also stated that he hopes his performances for Bristol City will keep him on the radar for the England team
and that his decision to join them was to stay closer to his family as he lives in Devon
.
James' league debut for Bristol City resulted in a 3–0 defeat to Millwall
on 7 August 2010. On 11 February 2011, the eve of his 850th club appearance, James announced he had signed a contract extension with City until June 2012.
appearance whilst at Watford, James made his full debut for Glenn Hoddle
's England in a friendly against Mexico
on 29 March 1997 when he was a Liverpool player. He also kept his first international clean sheet as England beat Mexico 2–0 with goals from Teddy Sheringham
and James' Liverpool team mate Robbie Fowler.
James is the only black goalkeeper to represent England as a full international.
For several years he had to play understudy to England's regular keeper, David Seaman
. When Seaman was dropped after making a mistake against FYR Macedonia
in 2002, James became the new England number 1. He retained his place in the England team even after West Ham's relegation to the First Division
in 2003, and was the only player from outside the top flight to win an England cap between 1999 (Michael Gray) and 2007 (David Nugent
). He went on to play in all of England's matches in Euro 2004
.
James was dropped from the starting XI after an error in a 2–2 World Cup
qualifying draw against Austria
in September 2004, his place being taken by Tottenham's Paul Robinson
.
James came on as a halftime substitute and conceded all four goals in the 4–1 drubbing England suffered at the hands of Denmark
during a friendly on 17 August 2005 — their worst defeat in 25 years. James still remained part of the England squad, and was selected as the second-choice goalkeeper behind Robinson for the 2006 World Cup
in Germany, though he did not play.
Along with fellow veterans David Beckham
and Sol Campbell
, James was dropped from the England squad at the start of Steve McClaren
's reign and was not called up during the 2006–07 season
. He was recalled for the friendly with Germany
on 22 August 2007, over a year since first being omitted. James subsequently played the whole of the second half of England's 2–1 defeat to Germany as a substitute for Robinson. In so doing, James became the first Portsmouth player to play for the senior England team since Mark Hateley
in 1984. However, Scott Carson
was chosen ahead of both James and Robinson for the decisive Euro 2008 qualifier against Croatia on 21 November 2007. England lost the match and Carson was blamed for Croatia's opening goal. Following England's failure to qualify for Euro 2008 McClaren was sacked as England manager and replaced by Fabio Capello
. James was subsequently critical of McClaren's treatment of England's goalkeepers.
On 7 February 2008, James was selected as goalkeeper for Capello's first match in charge, a friendly against Switzerland
. It was James' first start for England since the friendly with Colombia
in May 2005. James firmly re-established himself as England's first choice goalkeeper, starting in each of Capello's first 13 games in charge. Persistent injury problems over the following year left James' hopes of retaining the #1 spot for the 2010 World Cup in doubt, with Capello stating he would only consider players who were 100% for his squad. After the World Cup qualifier
against Ukraine
on 1 April 2009, James did not start a match for England until the final friendly before the World Cup against Japan
on 30 May 2010.
and David Seaman
.
On 3 June 2010, it was confirmed that James would be travelling to the World Cup Finals
in South Africa, and would be allocated the number 1 jersey. He was the oldest footballer in the tournament. He was not selected for the first game of the World Cup against the United States
with Robert Green
starting in the England goal. James returned to the starting line-up in the next game, keeping a clean sheet against Algeria
on 18 June 2010. In doing so James became the oldest ever World Cup debutant at the age of 39 years and 321 days. Five days later, he kept another clean sheet as England won against Slovenia 1–0 to ensure that they would reach the last 16, although they finished second in Group C behind the United States.
Against Germany in the round of 16, England lost 4–1, being eliminated from the World Cup in the process.
|1989–90
||rowspan="3"|Watford
||rowspan="3"|Second Division
||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-
|-
|1990–91
||46||0||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||46||0
|-
|1991–92
||43||0||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||43||0
|-
|1992–93
||rowspan="7"|Liverpool
||rowspan="11"|Premier League||29||0||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||29||0
|-
|1993–94
||14||0||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||14||0
|-
|1994–95
||42||0||colspan="2"|-||1||0||colspan="2"|-||43||0
|-
|1995–96
||38||0||1||0||1||0||colspan="2"|-||40||0
|-
|1996–97
||38||0||2||0||4||0||colspan="2"|-||44||0
|-
|1997–98
||27||0||1||0||5||0||4||0||37||0
|-
|1998–99
||26||0||2||0||colspan="2"|-||5||0||33||0
|-
|1999–00||rowspan="2"|Aston Villa
||29||0||5||0||5||0||colspan="2"|-||39||0
|-
|2000–01
||38||0||3||0||1||0||4||0||46||0
|-
|2001–02
||rowspan="3"|West Ham United
||26||0||3||0||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||29||0
|-
|2002–03
||38||0||2||0||2||0||colspan="2"|-||42||0
|-
|2003–04||Championship
||27||0||1||0||3||0||colspan="2"|-||31||0
|-
|2003–04
||rowspan="3"|Manchester City
||rowspan="7"|Premier League||17||0||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||17||0
|-
|2004–05
||38||0||1||0||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||39||0
|-
|2005–06
||38||0||5||0||1||0||colspan="2"|-||44||0
|-
|2006–07
||rowspan="4"|Portsmouth
||38||0||2||0||1||0||colspan="2"|-||41||0
|-
|2007–08||35||0||6||0||1||0||colspan="2"|-||42||0
|-
|2008–09||36||0||3||0||1||0||5||0||45||0
|-
|2009–10||25||0||4||0||0||0||colspan="2"|-|||29||0
|-
|2010–11
||rowspan="2"|Bristol City
||rowspan="2"|Championship||45||0||1||0||0||0||colspan="2"|-|||46||0
|-
|2011–12||13||0||0||0||1||0||colspan="2"|-|||13||0
|-
743||0||42||0||27||0||18||0||830||0
, attending the Sir Frederic Osborn School. He has four children with his former wife Tanya.
In addition to his footballing career, James has gained attention for modelling assignments, first with Giorgio Armani
in 1995, and with H&M
in 2005. During the 2003 offseason, James was a guest at the training camp of American football
team the Miami Dolphins
, where he worked out and studied their training and conditioning methods.
to help raise AIDS
awareness. He has since set up the David James Foundation in order to help fan producers in Malawi develop more efficient production techniques. The foundation also aims to give teenagers the skills needed to go out and work (for example mechanics and building work). He has recently made connections with West Exe Technology College
, Exeter
. This college has brought to his attention the Malawian charity, Friends of Mulanje Orphans. The foundation funds the David James Foundation Scholarship at the University of Westminster
, which funds a student from Malawi to study for a master's degree
at Westminster. The Charity has been supported this year by the Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE). James is also a global ambassador to the Special Olympics
and works with Access Sport to provide sports provision in deprived areas of the UK.
newspaper, and donates his article pay to charity.
Winner:
Liverpool
Portsmouth
Runner up:
Liverpool
Aston Villa
Individual
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Bristol City
Bristol City F.C.
Bristol City Football Club is one of two football league clubs in Bristol, England . They play at Ashton Gate, located in the south-west of the City...
.
On 14 February 2009, he achieved the all-time Premier League appearance record with 536 appearances, overtaking Gary Speed
Gary Speed
Gary Andrew Speed, MBE was a Welsh football player and manager. He was captain of the Wales national football team until he retired from international football in 2004 and he remains the most capped outfield player for Wales and the second overall, having appeared 85 times at senior level between...
. He held this record until being overtaken by Ryan Giggs
Ryan Giggs
Ryan Joseph Giggs OBE is a Welsh professional footballer who plays for Manchester United. Giggs made his first appearance for the club during the 1990–91 season and has been a regular player since the 1991–92 season...
on the 14th May 2011. He was capped 53 times by England between 1997 and 2010, and was first choice goalkeeper during both Euro 2004 and the 2010 World Cup
2010 FIFA World Cup
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...
He gained a Football League Cup
Football League Cup
The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
winner's medal with Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
in 1995, and an FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
winner's medal with Portsmouth
Portsmouth F.C.
Portsmouth Football Club is an English football club based in the city of Portsmouth. The club is nicknamed Pompey. Portsmouth's home matches have been played at Fratton Park since the club's formation in 1898. The team currently play in the Football League Championship after being relegated from...
in 2008 as well as runners-up medals with Aston Villa
Aston Villa F.C.
Aston Villa Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Witton, Birmingham. The club was founded in 1874 and have played at their current home ground, Villa Park, since 1897. Aston Villa were founder members of The Football League in 1888. They were also founder...
in 2000, Liverpool in 1996 and Portsmouth in 2010. In 2010, he became the oldest goalkeeper to appear in the FA Cup Final
FA Cup Final
The FA Cup Final, commonly referred to in England as just the Cup Final, is the last match in the Football Association Challenge Cup. With an official attendance of 89,826 at the 2007 FA Cup Final, it is the fourth best attended domestic club championship event in the world and the second most...
at 39.
James also holds the Premier League record for most clean sheets, with 173.
Watford
Born in Welwyn Garden CityWelwyn Garden City
-Economy:Ever since its inception as garden city, Welwyn Garden City has attracted a strong commercial base with several designated employment areas. Among the companies trading in the town are:*Air Link Systems*Baxter*British Lead Mills*Carl Zeiss...
, Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England. The county town is Hertford.The county is one of the Home Counties and lies inland, bordered by Greater London , Buckinghamshire , Bedfordshire , Cambridgeshire and...
, James signed as a trainee with Watford
Watford F.C.
Watford Football Club is an English professional football club based in Watford, Hertfordshire. It is often referred to as Watford F.C., Watford, or by the team's nickname The Hornets . Watford Rovers, Founded in 1881, entered the FA Cup for the first time in 1886, and the Southern League a decade...
upon leaving school and was first selected for the first team in 1989. In his days as a youth player, he helped Watford win the FA Youth Cup
FA Youth Cup
The Football Association Youth Challenge Cup is an English football competition run by The Football Association for under–18 sides. Only those players between the age of 15 and 18 on 31 August of the current season are eligible to take part...
. Following the departure of Tony Coton
Tony Coton
Anthony Philip "Tony" Coton is an English former footballer who made 500 appearances in the Football League and Premier League playing as a goalkeeper for Birmingham City, Watford, Manchester City and Sunderland...
, James made his league debut on 25 August 1990 in a 1–2 defeat with Millwall
Millwall F.C.
Millwall Football Club is an English professional football club based in South Bermondsey, south east London, that plays in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football. Founded as Millwall Rovers in 1885, the club has retained its name despite having last played in the...
, and his performance resulted in an England U-21
England national under-21 football team
England's national Under-21 football team, also known as England Under-21s or England U21, is considered to be the feeder team for the England national football team....
call-up for a match against the Republic of Ireland. He earned a total of ten caps for the U-21s.
At club level, James made 89 first-team appearances for Watford, and was named the club's Player of the Season for the 1990–91 season
1990-91 in English football
The 1990–91 season was the 111th season of competitive football in England.- First Division :Arsenal won the league. Runners-up spot was achieved by Liverpool, who had led the table for much of the first half of the season but had been shell-shocked in February by the sudden resignation of manager...
, when he kept goal in all 46 Second Division
Football League Second Division
From 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams...
games as Watford escaped relegation. He was signed for £1.25m by Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
on 6 July 1992. In 2008, James was inducted into the Watford Hall of Fame for his services to the club.
Liverpool
James made his Liverpool debut on 16 August 1992 in a 1–0 league defeat to Nottingham ForestNottingham Forest F.C.
Nottingham Forest Football Club is an English Association Football club based in West Bridgford, Nottingham, that plays in the Football League Championship...
. After conceding twenty goals in eleven matches in the first half of the 1993–94
1993-94 in English football
The 1993-1994 season was the 114th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:From the start of this season, the FA Premier League would be sponsored by Carling Breweries - an association which would last for eight years...
, he was dropped in favour of veteran Bruce Grobbelaar
Bruce Grobbelaar
Bruce David Grobbelaar is a former football goalkeeper and manager.He played for a number of clubs in a career which spanned for more than 20 years at professional level, most notably Liverpool during their dominant period in the 1980s and early 1990s.-Early years:In his teenage years, Grobbelaar...
, but was recalled to the starting lineup and kept his first clean sheet of the season in a 1–0 away win over Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
on 31 January 1993, which included a penalty save. He also received a runners-up medal in 1996
1996 FA Cup Final
The 1996 FA Cup Final was the 51st to be held at Wembley Stadium after the Second World War and was held between two of the biggest rivals in English football, Manchester United and Liverpool.- Build-up :...
in the FA Cup while being on the losing side against Man Utd.
James rose to fame together with Liverpool teammates Steve McManaman
Steve McManaman
Steven McManaman is a retired English footballer who played as a midfielder, winger and playmaker. Having spent his playing career at two of European football's most successful clubs of the 20th century, Liverpool and Real Madrid, as well as a spell at Manchester City, McManaman is the most...
, Jamie Redknapp
Jamie Redknapp
Jamie Frank Redknapp is a retired English footballer who was active from 1989 until 2005. He is now a football pundit with Sky Sports, and an editorial columnist with the Daily Mail....
, and Robbie Fowler
Robbie Fowler
Robert Bernard Fowler is an English footballer who is currently player/manager for Thai Premier League club Muangthong United....
, who were nicknamed the "Spice Boys
Spice Boys (footballers)
The Spice Boys was a media term used to describe a group of Liverpool F.C. footballers in the mid-late 1990s, seen typically as being composed of Jamie Redknapp, David James, Phil Babb, Steve McManaman, Robbie Fowler, Stan Collymore and Jason McAteer...
" – an epithet named after the Spice Girls
Spice Girls
The Spice Girls were a British pop girl group formed in 1994. The group consisted of Victoria Beckham , Melanie Brown, Emma Bunton, Melanie Chisholm and Geri Halliwell. They were signed to Virgin Records and released their debut single, "Wannabe" in 1996, which hit number-one in more than 30...
that was used by those who alleged the Liverpool team of the 1990s were more focused on partying than winning games. James' frequent blunders earned him the nickname Calamity James
Calamity James
Calamity James is a comic strip in the UK comic The Beano. It is about a boy, named Calamity James, who has disastrous luck. He first appeared on November 1, 1986, in issue no. 2311. A copy of his first strip is viewable here. His strip replaced Biffo the Bear and Little Plum, which had both been...
. He put down his spate of errors to an overindulgence in playing computer games that in turn affected his concentration. Despite winning the 1995 Football League Cup
Football League Cup
The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
, James' hold on the starting position was put in jeopardy with the acquisition of Brad Friedel
Brad Friedel
Bradley Howard Friedel is an American soccer player who plays as a goalkeeper for Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League....
. On 23 June 1999, after 277 games for Liverpool, he was sold to Aston Villa for £1.8m.
Aston Villa
James made his Villa debut on 7 August 1999, and kept a clean sheet in a 1–0 away win over Newcastle UnitedNewcastle United F.C.
Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger...
in the opening Premier League game, and was decisive in a penalty shoot-out
Penalty shootout (football)
A penalty shoot-out, referred to as kicks from the penalty mark in the Laws of the Game, is the FIFA official term for a method used in association football to decide which team progresses to the next stage of a tournament following a tied game...
against Bolton Wanderers
Bolton Wanderers F.C.
Bolton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the area of Horwich in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester. They began their current spell in the Premier League in 2001....
in the 2000 FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
semi-final, but then was at fault for Chelsea
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
's winning goal in the ensuing final, the last to be staged at the old Wembley.
After just two years and 85 appearances, James moved to West Ham United
West Ham United F.C.
West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London. They play in The Football League Championship. The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. In 1904 the club relocated to their current...
for £3.5 million on 11 July 2001, signing a four year contract. However, a serious knee injury sustained while on international duty kept him out for several months.
West Ham United
His first appearance was on 24 November 2001 in a 1–0 home loss to Tottenham HotspurTottenham Hotspur F.C.
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....
. In season 2002–03 West Ham were relegated to the Championship
Football League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
. James stayed with West Ham into season 2003–04 before returning to the Premier League, signing for Manchester City
Manchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...
on 14 January 2004 for an undisclosed fee as a replacement for the retired David Seaman
David Seaman
David Andrew Seaman MBE is a former English football goalkeeper who played for several clubs, most notably Arsenal. He retired from the game on 13 January 2004, following a recurring shoulder injury...
. He played 102 total games in all competitions for West Ham.
Manchester City
He made his City debut on 17 January in a 1–1 home draw with Blackburn RoversBlackburn Rovers F.C.
Blackburn Rovers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the town of Blackburn, Lancashire. The team currently competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football....
. Manchester City won only four of the seventeen matches that James started, two of which came after James saved penalties against Wolverhampton Wanderers
Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C.
Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club that represents the city of Wolverhampton in the West Midlands region. They are members of the Premier League, the highest level of English football. The club was founded in 1877 and since 1889 has played at...
and Leicester City
Leicester City F.C.
Leicester City Football Club , also known as The Foxes, is an English professional football club based at the King Power Stadium in Leicester...
.
On the last day of the 2004–05 season, James was playing for City who needed to beat Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough F.C.
Middlesbrough Football Club , also known as Boro, are an English football club based in Middlesbrough, who play in the Football League Championship. Formed in 1876, they have played at the Riverside Stadium since August 1995, their third ground since turning professional in 1889...
to qualify for the UEFA Cup
UEFA Cup
The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
. With five minutes remaining the score was 1–1, when City's manager Stuart Pearce
Stuart Pearce
Stuart Pearce OBE is an English football manager and former player. He is currently the manager of the England national under-21 team and the Great Britain and Northern Ireland Olympic football team...
substituted midfielder Claudio Reyna
Claudio Reyna
Claudio Reyna is a retired American soccer player and the current USSF US Youth Soccer Technical Director. He was the captain of the United States national team before retiring from international football following the USA's exit from the 2006 FIFA World Cup. He is widely considered one of the...
for the substitute goalkeeper Nicky Weaver
Nicky Weaver
Nicholas James "Nicky" Weaver is an English footballer who is a goalkeeper currently playing for League One club Sheffield Wednesday. Weaver is a former England under-21 international.-Career:...
, and James was moved to play in attack for the remainder of the game. The unusual tactic almost worked when, in injury time, Middlesbrough defender Franck Queudrue
Franck Queudrue
Franck Queudrue is a French footballer who plays as a left back for Lens. He began his career with Lens, for whom he played in Ligue 1, and went on to play in the Premier League for Middlesbrough, Fulham and Birmingham City, and in the Football League for Colchester United.-Lens:Queudrue began his...
conceded a penalty by handling a cross that was aimed at James. However Robbie Fowler
Robbie Fowler
Robert Bernard Fowler is an English footballer who is currently player/manager for Thai Premier League club Muangthong United....
's penalty was saved by Middlesbrough goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer
Mark Schwarzer
Mark Schwarzer OAM is an Australian association football player who plays as a goalkeeper. He currently plays for Premier League club Fulham. He rose to prominence during his time at North-East England football club Middlesbrough...
and so City did not qualify for the UEFA Cup.
On 10 August 2006, James, who had separated from his wife, stated that he needed to leave Manchester City to be closer to his children, who lived in London. Manchester City confirmed they had accepted a bid from Portsmouth
Portsmouth F.C.
Portsmouth Football Club is an English football club based in the city of Portsmouth. The club is nicknamed Pompey. Portsmouth's home matches have been played at Fratton Park since the club's formation in 1898. The team currently play in the Football League Championship after being relegated from...
. Two days later, he joined Portsmouth for £1.2 million, signing a two-year deal.
Portsmouth
He kept clean sheets in his first five appearances for Portsmouth. In November 2006 James, long known for experimenting with his hairstyle, was mildly ridiculed on the BBCBBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
's Match Of The Day
Match of the Day
Match of the Day is the BBC's main football television programme. Typically, it is shown on BBC One on Saturday evenings during the English football season, showing highlights of the day's matches in English football's top division, the Premier League...
for wearing his hair in a style similar to that of fictional character Clark Kent
Clark Kent
Clark Kent is a fictional character created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. Appearing regularly in stories published by DC Comics, he debuted in Action Comics #1 and serves as the civilian and secret identity of the superhero Superman....
. He has explored the field of sport psychology
Sport psychology
Sport psychology is an interdisciplinary science that draws on knowledge from the fields of kinesiology and psychology. It involves the study of how psychological factors affect performance and how participation in sport and exercise affect psychological and physical factors...
to improve his skills as a goalkeeper; he has claimed that this study of psychology has helped him become better at saving penalty kicks.
On 22 April 2007, James kept his 142nd Premier League
FA Premier League
The Premier League is an English professional league for association football clubs. At the top of the English football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with The Football League. The Premier...
clean sheet in a goalless draw with Aston Villa, breaking the record of 141 previously held by David Seaman
David Seaman
David Andrew Seaman MBE is a former English football goalkeeper who played for several clubs, most notably Arsenal. He retired from the game on 13 January 2004, following a recurring shoulder injury...
. James has also made the most league appearances of any goalkeeper since the formation of the Premier League over fifteen seasons, in addition to conceding the most goals. On 30 January 2008, in a league match against Manchester United, he became the third player (after Gary Speed
Gary Speed
Gary Andrew Speed, MBE was a Welsh football player and manager. He was captain of the Wales national football team until he retired from international football in 2004 and he remains the most capped outfield player for Wales and the second overall, having appeared 85 times at senior level between...
and Ryan Giggs
Ryan Giggs
Ryan Joseph Giggs OBE is a Welsh professional footballer who plays for Manchester United. Giggs made his first appearance for the club during the 1990–91 season and has been a regular player since the 1991–92 season...
) to cross the 500-match threshold.
James signed a one-year contract extension in May 2007, which kept him at Fratton Park
Fratton Park
Fratton Park is a football stadium in the English city-port of Portsmouth. It has been the home of professional club Portsmouth F.C. since its construction in 1898.-Description:...
until the end of the 2008–09 season. He then played a role in Portsmouth's victory over Liverpool in the pre-season Barclays Asia Trophy 2007
Barclays Asia Trophy 2007
The Barclays Asia Trophy 2007 was the third edition of the Premier League Asia Trophy, a four-team football tournament held every two years. The tournament was held in Hong Kong. The 2007 edition was competed by South China AA, the winner of Hong Kong's FA Cup, Liverpool, Portsmouth and Fulham at...
saving two penalties in the ensuing shoot-out, and won the 2008 FA Cup
2008 FA Cup Final
The 2008 FA Cup Final was a football match held at Wembley Stadium on 17 May 2008 and was the final match of the 2007–08 FA Cup competition. The match was the 127th FA Cup Final, and the second to be held at the new Wembley Stadium since its redevelopment. The match was contested by Portsmouth and...
in a 1–0 victory over Cardiff City
Cardiff City F.C.
Cardiff City Football Club are a Welsh professional football club based in Cardiff, Wales. The club competes in the English football pyramid and is currently playing in the Football League Championship. Cardiff City is the best supported football club in Wales, averaging approximately 22,500 for...
at Wembley. On 8 November 2008, he made his hundredth appearance for Portsmouth.
He holds the distinction of twice having been the record holder for consecutive Premier League appearances, with 159 during his Liverpool days from February 1994 to February 1998, and 166 between Manchester City and Portsmouth from 2006 to 2008; both streaks were eventually topped by Chelsea
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
's Frank Lampard
Frank Lampard
Frank James Lampard is an English professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for Chelsea and the England national team. He also holds the position of vice-captain for his club side...
and Aston Villa's Brad Friedel
Brad Friedel
Bradley Howard Friedel is an American soccer player who plays as a goalkeeper for Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League....
, respectively.
On 14 February 2009 against Manchester City, James made his 536th Premier League appearance, breaking Gary Speed
Gary Speed
Gary Andrew Speed, MBE was a Welsh football player and manager. He was captain of the Wales national football team until he retired from international football in 2004 and he remains the most capped outfield player for Wales and the second overall, having appeared 85 times at senior level between...
's all-time record.
On 22 April 2009, Times Online named James as the 15th greatest player in Portsmouth's history.
James captained Portsmouth in the FA Cup Semi-final against Tottenham Hotspur where Portsmouth won 2–0 in extra time, describing the experience as "superb".
His contract expired at the end of the 2009–10 season, and he expressed interest in succeeding Avram Grant as Portsmouth manager, though this came to nothing. The club offered him a new playing contract, but withdrew the offer after he failed to commit to the club, therefore James left Portsmouth and became a Free Agent.
Bristol City
James signed a one year contract with Bristol CityBristol City F.C.
Bristol City Football Club is one of two football league clubs in Bristol, England . They play at Ashton Gate, located in the south-west of the City...
on 30 July 2010 to take effect 1 August with the option of a second year.
James also stated that he hopes his performances for Bristol City will keep him on the radar for the England team
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
and that his decision to join them was to stay closer to his family as he lives in Devon
Devon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
.
James' league debut for Bristol City resulted in a 3–0 defeat to Millwall
Millwall F.C.
Millwall Football Club is an English professional football club based in South Bermondsey, south east London, that plays in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football. Founded as Millwall Rovers in 1885, the club has retained its name despite having last played in the...
on 7 August 2010. On 11 February 2011, the eve of his 850th club appearance, James announced he had signed a contract extension with City until June 2012.
International career
After making one England under-21England national under-21 football team
England's national Under-21 football team, also known as England Under-21s or England U21, is considered to be the feeder team for the England national football team....
appearance whilst at Watford, James made his full debut for Glenn Hoddle
Glenn Hoddle
Glenn Hoddle is an English former footballer and manager who played as an attacking midfielder for Tottenham Hotspur, AS Monaco, Chelsea and Swindon Town and at international level for England....
's England in a friendly against Mexico
Mexico national football team
The Mexican national football team represents Mexico in association football and is governed by the Mexican Football Federation , the governing body for football in Mexico. Mexico's home stadium is the Estadio Azteca and their head coach is José Manuel de la Torre...
on 29 March 1997 when he was a Liverpool player. He also kept his first international clean sheet as England beat Mexico 2–0 with goals from Teddy Sheringham
Teddy Sheringham
Edward Paul "Teddy" Sheringham MBE is a retired English footballer, and the father of footballer Charlie Sheringham. Sheringham played as a striker, and had a successful career at the club level, winning almost every domestic honour available with his clubs, most notably the Treble with Manchester...
and James' Liverpool team mate Robbie Fowler.
James is the only black goalkeeper to represent England as a full international.
For several years he had to play understudy to England's regular keeper, David Seaman
David Seaman
David Andrew Seaman MBE is a former English football goalkeeper who played for several clubs, most notably Arsenal. He retired from the game on 13 January 2004, following a recurring shoulder injury...
. When Seaman was dropped after making a mistake against FYR Macedonia
Republic of Macedonia national football team
The Macedonia national football team is the national football team of the Republic of Macedonia and is controlled by the Football Federation of Macedonia. Due to an ongoing name dispute, it enters international competitions under its country's provisional appellation as "FYR Macedonia"...
in 2002, James became the new England number 1. He retained his place in the England team even after West Ham's relegation to the First Division
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
in 2003, and was the only player from outside the top flight to win an England cap between 1999 (Michael Gray) and 2007 (David Nugent
David Nugent
David James Nugent is an English footballer striker, who currently plays for Leicester City . Before joining Leicester, Nugent made a total of 228 appearances in the Football League playing for Bury, Preston North End and Portsmouth...
). He went on to play in all of England's matches in Euro 2004
2004 UEFA European Football Championship
The 2004 UEFA European Football Championship, better known as Euro 2004, was the 12th European Football Championship, a quadrennial football tournament for European national teams. It was hosted in Portugal, for the first time, between 12 June and 4 July 2004, following its selection by UEFA, in...
.
James was dropped from the starting XI after an error in a 2–2 World Cup
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
qualifying draw against Austria
Austria national football team
The Austria national football team is the association football team that represents the country of Austria in international competition and is controlled by the Austrian Football Association ....
in September 2004, his place being taken by Tottenham's Paul Robinson
Paul Robinson (goalkeeper)
Paul William Robinson is an English footballer who plays for Blackburn Rovers as a goalkeeper in the Premier League. He had also been an England international and he earned 41 caps between 2003 and 2007 before his retirement from international football in August 2010.He joined Leeds United at 16...
.
James came on as a halftime substitute and conceded all four goals in the 4–1 drubbing England suffered at the hands of Denmark
Denmark national football team
The Denmark national football team represents Denmark in association football and is controlled by the Danish Football Association , the governing body for the football clubs which are organized under DBU...
during a friendly on 17 August 2005 — their worst defeat in 25 years. James still remained part of the England squad, and was selected as the second-choice goalkeeper behind Robinson for the 2006 World Cup
2006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...
in Germany, though he did not play.
Along with fellow veterans David Beckham
David Beckham
David Robert Joseph Beckham, OBE is an English footballer who plays midfield for Los Angeles Galaxy in Major League Soccer, having previously played for Manchester United, Preston North End, Real Madrid, and A.C...
and Sol Campbell
Sol Campbell
Sulzeer Jeremiah "Sol" Campbell is an English footballer who is currently a free agent. A central defender, Campbell has played for Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal, Portsmouth, Notts County and Newcastle United, as well as the English national team.Born in East London to Jamaican parents, Campbell's...
, James was dropped from the England squad at the start of Steve McClaren
Steve McClaren
Stephen "Steve" McClaren is an English football manager and former player.McClaren was previously manager of VfL Wolfsburg in Germany between May 2010 and February 2011, having left his post at Dutch side FC Twente, with whom he won the club's first Eredivisie championship in the 2009–10 season...
's reign and was not called up during the 2006–07 season
2006-07 in English football
The 2006–07 season was the 127th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:* The number of divisions at Level 8 of the English football league system increased from four to five...
. He was recalled for the friendly with Germany
Germany national football team
The Germany national football team is the football team that has represented Germany in international competition since 1908. It is governed by the German Football Association , which was founded in 1900....
on 22 August 2007, over a year since first being omitted. James subsequently played the whole of the second half of England's 2–1 defeat to Germany as a substitute for Robinson. In so doing, James became the first Portsmouth player to play for the senior England team since Mark Hateley
Mark Hateley
Mark Wayne Hateley is a retired English football player who played as a centre-forward. He was capped 32 times for the English national team , and played in top-level football leagues in England, Italy, France and Scotland...
in 1984. However, Scott Carson
Scott Carson
Scott Paul Carson is an English footballer who plays for Bursaspor as a goalkeeper.He joined the Leeds United football academy in 2002, making his full first team debut for Leeds against Manchester United in February 2004...
was chosen ahead of both James and Robinson for the decisive Euro 2008 qualifier against Croatia on 21 November 2007. England lost the match and Carson was blamed for Croatia's opening goal. Following England's failure to qualify for Euro 2008 McClaren was sacked as England manager and replaced by Fabio Capello
Fabio Capello
Fabio Capello is an Italian football manager and former player. He is the manager of the England national football team.Capello has the distinction of winning the domestic league title with every club he has coached throughout his career...
. James was subsequently critical of McClaren's treatment of England's goalkeepers.
On 7 February 2008, James was selected as goalkeeper for Capello's first match in charge, a friendly against Switzerland
Switzerland national football team
The Swiss national football team is the national football team of Switzerland...
. It was James' first start for England since the friendly with Colombia
Colombia national football team
The Colombian national football team represents Colombia in international football competitions and is controlled by the Colombian Football Federation. It is a member of the CONMEBOL...
in May 2005. James firmly re-established himself as England's first choice goalkeeper, starting in each of Capello's first 13 games in charge. Persistent injury problems over the following year left James' hopes of retaining the #1 spot for the 2010 World Cup in doubt, with Capello stating he would only consider players who were 100% for his squad. After the World Cup qualifier
2010 FIFA World Cup qualification (UEFA)
The European zone of qualification for the 2010 FIFA World Cup saw 53 teams competing for 13 places at the finals. The qualification process started on 20 August 2008, after UEFA Euro 2008, and ended on 18 November 2009. The qualification process saw the first competitive matches of...
against Ukraine
Ukraine national football team
The Ukraine national football team is the national football team of Ukraine and is controlled by the Football Federation of Ukraine. After Ukrainian Independence and breakaway from the Soviet Union, they played their first match against Hungary on 29 April 1992...
on 1 April 2009, James did not start a match for England until the final friendly before the World Cup against Japan
Japan national football team
The Japan national football team represents Japan in association football and is operated by the Japan Football Association, the governing body for association football in Japan...
on 30 May 2010.
2010 World Cup
Prior to the tournament he was backed to reclaim the number one shirt by former England goalkeepers Gordon BanksGordon Banks
Gordon Banks, OBE is a retired English football goalkeeper. The IFFHS named Banks the second best goalkeeper of the 20th century – after Lev Yashin and ahead of Dino Zoff ....
and David Seaman
David Seaman
David Andrew Seaman MBE is a former English football goalkeeper who played for several clubs, most notably Arsenal. He retired from the game on 13 January 2004, following a recurring shoulder injury...
.
On 3 June 2010, it was confirmed that James would be travelling to the World Cup Finals
2010 FIFA World Cup
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...
in South Africa, and would be allocated the number 1 jersey. He was the oldest footballer in the tournament. He was not selected for the first game of the World Cup against the United States
United States men's national soccer team
The United States men's national soccer team represents the United States in international association football competitions. It is controlled by the United States Soccer Federation and competes in CONCACAF...
with Robert Green
Robert Green
Robert Paul Green is an English footballer who plays for West Ham United and the England national football team as a goalkeeper.-Norwich City:...
starting in the England goal. James returned to the starting line-up in the next game, keeping a clean sheet against Algeria
Algeria national football team
The Algeria national football team , nicknamed الأفنــاك, Les Fennecs , represents Algeria in association football and is controlled by the Fédération Algérienne de Football. Algeria's home ground is the Stade 5 Juillet 1962 in Algiers and their head coach is Vahid Halilhodžić.Algeria has qualified...
on 18 June 2010. In doing so James became the oldest ever World Cup debutant at the age of 39 years and 321 days. Five days later, he kept another clean sheet as England won against Slovenia 1–0 to ensure that they would reach the last 16, although they finished second in Group C behind the United States.
Against Germany in the round of 16, England lost 4–1, being eliminated from the World Cup in the process.
Club
|-|1989–90
The Football League 1989-90
The 1989–1990 season was the 90th completed season of The Football League.- First Division :Liverpool overhauled a greatly improved Aston Villa side to win their 18th league championship trophy and their fifth major trophy in as many seasons under Kenny Dalglish’s management. To date, this remains...
||rowspan="3"|Watford
Watford F.C.
Watford Football Club is an English professional football club based in Watford, Hertfordshire. It is often referred to as Watford F.C., Watford, or by the team's nickname The Hornets . Watford Rovers, Founded in 1881, entered the FA Cup for the first time in 1886, and the Southern League a decade...
||rowspan="3"|Second Division
Football League Second Division
From 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams...
||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-
|-
|1990–91
The Football League 1990-91
The 1990–1991 season was the 91st completed season of The Football League.-First Division:Arsenal took their second league title in three seasons despite a season during which it often looked as though the good points would be outnumbered by the bad points...
||46||0||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||46||0
|-
|1991–92
The Football League 1991-92
The 1991–1992 season was the 92nd completed season of The Football League.- First Division :The last-ever league championship before the creation of the Premier League was won by Leeds United who overhauled Manchester United thanks to the efforts of players like Gordon Strachan, Lee Chapman, David...
||43||0||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||43||0
|-
|1992–93
FA Premier League 1992-93
The 1992–93 FA Premier League was the first season of the Premier League, the top division of English football. The league was made up of the 22 clubs that broke away from The Football League at the end of the 1991–92 season. The new league was backed up by a five-year, £305 million deal with...
||rowspan="7"|Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
||rowspan="11"|Premier League||29||0||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||29||0
|-
|1993–94
FA Premier League 1993-94
-New league sponsors:From the start of the 1993-94 season, the FA Premier League was sponsored by Carling Breweries.-Promoted teams:Newcastle United and West Ham were promoted to the Premier League from the First Division as champions and runners-up respectively. The last promotion place was won by...
||14||0||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||14||0
|-
|1994–95
FA Premier League 1994-95
-Promoted teams:Crystal Palace and Nottingham Forest were promoted from the Football League First Division as winners and runners-up respectively. Leicester City won the 1993-94 playoff.-Controversial incidents:...
||42||0||colspan="2"|-||1||0||colspan="2"|-||43||0
|-
|1995–96
FA Premier League 1995-96
-Promoted teams:Due to the decision to reduce the number of clubs in the Premier League from 22 to 20, only two clubs were promoted this season: Middlesbrough as Football League First Division champions, and Bolton Wanderers who won the 1994-95 playoff.-Transfers:...
||38||0||1||0||1||0||colspan="2"|-||40||0
|-
|1996–97
FA Premier League 1996-97
The 1996–97 FA Premier League season was the fifth season of the competition, since its formation in 1992. The majority of the season was contested by the reigning champions, Manchester United, along with Newcastle United, Arsenal and Liverpool...
||38||0||2||0||4||0||colspan="2"|-||44||0
|-
|1997–98
FA Premier League 1997-98
The FA Premier League 1997-98 season saw Arsenal lift their first league title since 1991, and also become only the second team to win the 'double' of the FA Cup and league title twice...
||27||0||1||0||5||0||4||0||37||0
|-
|1998–99
FA Premier League 1998-99
The 1998–99 FA Premier League season was the seventh season of the Premier League, the top division of English football, since its establishment in 1992. The season will always be remembered as the one in which Manchester United won a unique treble of the league title, the FA Cup and the European Cup...
||26||0||2||0||colspan="2"|-||5||0||33||0
|-
|1999–00||rowspan="2"|Aston Villa
Aston Villa F.C.
Aston Villa Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Witton, Birmingham. The club was founded in 1874 and have played at their current home ground, Villa Park, since 1897. Aston Villa were founder members of The Football League in 1888. They were also founder...
||29||0||5||0||5||0||colspan="2"|-||39||0
|-
|2000–01
FA Premier League 2000-01
The FA Premier League 2000-01 season was the third season running which ended with Manchester United as champions and Arsenal as runners-up. Sir Alex Ferguson became the first manager to win three successive English league titles, although three teams had achieved that feat in the past - but with...
||38||0||3||0||1||0||4||0||46||0
|-
|2001–02
FA Premier League 2001-02
The 2001–02 FA Premier League season was the tenth season of the competition. It began with a new sponsor, Barclaycard, and was titled the FA Barclaycard Premiership, replacing the previous sponsor, Carling...
||rowspan="3"|West Ham United
West Ham United F.C.
West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London. They play in The Football League Championship. The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. In 1904 the club relocated to their current...
||26||0||3||0||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||29||0
|-
|2002–03
FA Premier League 2002-03
The 2002–03 FA Premier League was the eleventh season of the Premier League, the top division in English football. The first matches were played on 17 August 2002 and the last were played on 11 May 2003...
||38||0||2||0||2||0||colspan="2"|-||42||0
|-
|2003–04||Championship
Football League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
||27||0||1||0||3||0||colspan="2"|-||31||0
|-
|2003–04
FA Premier League 2003-04
The 2003–04 FA Premier League season was the twelfth season of the Premier League. In the end, Arsenal went through the season without a single defeat – only the second ever team to do so and were crowned champions once more, at the expense of Chelsea, who had spent heavily throughout the...
||rowspan="3"|Manchester City
Manchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...
||rowspan="7"|Premier League||17||0||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||17||0
|-
|2004–05
FA Premier League 2004-05
The 2004–05 season of the FA Premier League began on 14 August 2004 and ended on 15 May 2005. Arsenal were the defending champions after going unbeaten the previous season....
||38||0||1||0||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||39||0
|-
|2005–06
FA Premier League 2005-06
The 2005–06 season of the FA Premier League began on 13 August 2005, and concluded on 7 May 2006. The season saw Chelsea F.C retain their title after defeating Manchester United 3–0 at Stamford Bridge towards the end of April...
||38||0||5||0||1||0||colspan="2"|-||44||0
|-
|2006–07
FA Premier League 2006-07
The 2006–07 FA Premier League was the fifteenth season of the FA Premier League since its establishment in 1992. The season started on 19 August 2006 and concluded on 13 May 2007....
||rowspan="4"|Portsmouth
Portsmouth F.C.
Portsmouth Football Club is an English football club based in the city of Portsmouth. The club is nicknamed Pompey. Portsmouth's home matches have been played at Fratton Park since the club's formation in 1898. The team currently play in the Football League Championship after being relegated from...
||38||0||2||0||1||0||colspan="2"|-||41||0
|-
|2007–08||35||0||6||0||1||0||colspan="2"|-||42||0
|-
|2008–09||36||0||3||0||1||0||5||0||45||0
|-
|2009–10||25||0||4||0||0||0||colspan="2"|-|||29||0
|-
|2010–11
2010–11 Football League Championship
The 2010–11 Football League Championship was the seventh season of the league under its current name and nineteenth season under its current league division format...
||rowspan="2"|Bristol City
Bristol City F.C.
Bristol City Football Club is one of two football league clubs in Bristol, England . They play at Ashton Gate, located in the south-west of the City...
||rowspan="2"|Championship||45||0||1||0||0||0||colspan="2"|-|||46||0
|-
|2011–12||13||0||0||0||1||0||colspan="2"|-|||13||0
|-
743||0||42||0||27||0||18||0||830||0
- Stats accurate as of 17:05. 23 October 2011
- Does not include appearance in 2008/09 Community Shield.
International statistics
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| England England national football team The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first... |
|||
| 1997 | 1 | 0 | |
| 1998 | 0 | 0 | |
| 1999 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2000 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2001 | 3 | 0 | |
| 2002 | 5 | 0 | |
| 2003 | 11 | 0 | |
| 2004 | 9 | 0 | |
| 2005 | 3 | 0 | |
| 2006 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2007 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2008 | 10 | 0 | |
| 2009 | 4 | 0 | |
| 2010 | 4 | 0 | |
| Total | 53 | 0 | |
Personal life
James was brought up in Welwyn Garden CityWelwyn Garden City
-Economy:Ever since its inception as garden city, Welwyn Garden City has attracted a strong commercial base with several designated employment areas. Among the companies trading in the town are:*Air Link Systems*Baxter*British Lead Mills*Carl Zeiss...
, attending the Sir Frederic Osborn School. He has four children with his former wife Tanya.
In addition to his footballing career, James has gained attention for modelling assignments, first with Giorgio Armani
Giorgio Armani
Giorgio Armani is an Italian fashion designer, particularly noted for his menswear. He is known today for his clean, tailored lines. He formed his company, Armani, in 1975, and by 2001 was acclaimed as the most successful designer to come out of Italy, with an annual turnover of $1.6 billion and a...
in 1995, and with H&M
H&M
H & M Hennes & Mauritz AB is a Swedish retail-clothing company, known for its fast-fashion clothing offerings for women, men, teenagers and children....
in 2005. During the 2003 offseason, James was a guest at the training camp of American football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
team the Miami Dolphins
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, where he worked out and studied their training and conditioning methods.
Charity work
In 2005, James visited the south eastern African nation of MalawiMalawi
The Republic of Malawi is a landlocked country in southeast Africa that was formerly known as Nyasaland. It is bordered by Zambia to the northwest, Tanzania to the northeast, and Mozambique on the east, south and west. The country is separated from Tanzania and Mozambique by Lake Malawi. Its size...
to help raise AIDS
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
awareness. He has since set up the David James Foundation in order to help fan producers in Malawi develop more efficient production techniques. The foundation also aims to give teenagers the skills needed to go out and work (for example mechanics and building work). He has recently made connections with West Exe Technology College
West Exe Technology College
West Exe Technology College is one of the five secondary schools in Exeter, Devon, England. West Exe was previously known as St Thomas High. The catchment area for the school is the St Thomas area, Alphington, and some parts of Exwick...
, Exeter
Exeter
Exeter is a historic city in Devon, England. It lies within the ceremonial county of Devon, of which it is the county town as well as the home of Devon County Council. Currently the administrative area has the status of a non-metropolitan district, and is therefore under the administration of the...
. This college has brought to his attention the Malawian charity, Friends of Mulanje Orphans. The foundation funds the David James Foundation Scholarship at the University of Westminster
University of Westminster
The University of Westminster is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom. Its origins go back to the foundation of the Royal Polytechnic Institution in 1838, and it was awarded university status in 1992.The university's headquarters and original campus are based on Regent...
, which funds a student from Malawi to study for a master's degree
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
at Westminster. The Charity has been supported this year by the Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE). James is also a global ambassador to the Special Olympics
Special Olympics
Special Olympics is the world's largest sports organization for children and adults with intellectual disabilities, providing year-round training and competitions to more than 3.1 million athletes in 175 countries....
and works with Access Sport to provide sports provision in deprived areas of the UK.
Writing
In addition to being an art lover, James writes a regular column for The ObserverThe Observer
The Observer is a British newspaper, published on Sundays. In the same place on the political spectrum as its daily sister paper The Guardian, which acquired it in 1993, it takes a liberal or social democratic line on most issues. It is the world's oldest Sunday newspaper.-Origins:The first issue,...
newspaper, and donates his article pay to charity.
Honours
ClubWinner:
Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
- Football League CupFootball League CupThe Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
: 1995
Portsmouth
Portsmouth F.C.
Portsmouth Football Club is an English football club based in the city of Portsmouth. The club is nicknamed Pompey. Portsmouth's home matches have been played at Fratton Park since the club's formation in 1898. The team currently play in the Football League Championship after being relegated from...
- Premier League Asia TrophyPremier League Asia TrophyThe Premier League Asia Trophy is a friendly four-team pre-season football tournament held in Asia every two years. The competition is contested by three Premier League football clubs and the home team...
: 2007 - FA CupFA CupThe Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
: 2008
Runner up:
Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
- FA CupFA CupThe Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
: 1996
Aston Villa
- FA CupFA CupThe Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
: 2000
Individual
- Toulon TournamentToulon TournamentThe Toulon Tournament is a football tournament which traditionally features invited national teams composed of under-21 players, although the first tournament in 1967 featured club teams...
: 1991 Best Goalkeeper