Saturday, August 12, 2006

Pompey seal deal for James

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Portsmouth have completed the signing of Manchester City goalkeeper David James in a deal worth £2 million.
The ambitious South Coast outfit have endured a summer of frustration with regards bringing in fresh faces but have enjoyed an excellent past week having secured both Sol Campbell and now, England international James.
James has been eager to move south since the close of last season and has now been granted his wish after concurring on personal terms and putting pen-to-paper on a two-year deal.
The 36-year-old goalkeeper, who has a wealth of Premiership experience having clocked up appearances at Watford, Liverpool, Aston Villa, West Ham and City, will now look to cement his place in Portsmouth's starting line-up.
James will compete with Dean Kiely and Jamie Ashdown for the number one spot but it seems likely he will make his debut for Portsmouth in their opener against Blackburn a week on Saturday.
Portsmouth boss Harry Redknapp has told Sky Sports News of his delight at signing a player he feels is still one of the best in the business, while continuing to concede he is still in the market for a striker.
"He's very fit and I still think he's a top class goalkeeper,'' Redknapp told Sky Sports News.
"It's not easy finding young goalkeepers - Jens Lehmann and Oliver Kahn are probably the best in the world and they're in their late thirties.
"David is still a great athlete and very fit and will bring a great presence and great experience to our team.
'It's not easy to find players this time of year. The big players are earning big money now - we're talking telephone numbers, it's getting crazy.
"Everyone is looking for strikers and it costs big money - but we'll keep looking and see what happens."