Callum Burton is as proud as anyone to follow in the footsteps of Joe Hart as a young goalkeeper moving through the ranks with both Shrewsbury Town and England – but his boyhood idols were not always Englishmen.
On the eve of England U18s’ meeting with Germany at Rotherham on Wednesday, the 17-year-old admitted that he was as much a fan of Oliver Kahn as he was David James.
"I watch a lot of German football and like to analyse the goalkeepers in the Bundesliga," he said.
England v Germany
International U18 Match
7.30pm, Wednesday 16 April
New York Stadium, Rotherham
Call 08444 140754 for tickets
"I admire their athleticism, you see their body shape and they’re all good athletes and make saves that you wouldn’t expect a goalkeeper to make.
"I grew up watching Oliver Kahn and now I love watching Manuel Neuer, for me he is the best in the world.
"I also like the Borussia Monchengladbach goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen, he’s been capped at all levels for Germany including the senior team and has made over 100 appearances for his club, which is brilliant for a 21-year-old."
Of course, Burton also counts Three Lions stopper Hart as a role model, both as the young man he remembers at Shrewsbury and the player he is today.
Burton revealed: "Joe has always been a massive inspiration to me.
"I first signed for Shrewsbury when he was leaving for [Manchester] City and I've always followed his career closely.
"It took him time to establish himself at City and he had a spell on loan at Birmingham to gain vital experience. I think all goalkeepers need that at an early age."
Joe Hart is another Shrewsbury Town boy to make his mark for England
Now Burton is hoping to impress against Germany in arguably the biggest match of his career to date – in front of an 8,000-plus crowd at Rotherham’s New York Stadium.
"Having played for England at U16 and U17 level, it’s fantastic to now play for the U18s,” he added.
"Since meeting up on Saturday, we’ve had some really good training sessions and the boys are really excited to play Germany at Rotherham on Wednesday night.
"Growing up, you always dream of playing for your country against top teams in the world and it doesn’t get any better than testing yourself against a team like Germany.
"At any level, the Germans are always a tough team to play against and this game will be no different.
"We have some really good players in this age group, who’ve tasted first team football already this season, so if we play to our potential we can definitely get a result."
Although Burton is yet to make his debut for Shrewsbury, he believes his time with England will be crucial to his long-term development.
He said: "I’m constantly learning all the time at Shrewsbury and coming away with England helps massively.
"It’s a vital experience for all the lads in this age group as we’re playing some elite European teams such as Germany, Croatia and Belgium, who all bring different styles of play."
Tickets for the game are on sale now and priced at just £3 for adults, £1 for children/OAPs. For groups of 15 or more [bookable in advance only], it is just 50p admission.
Call Rotherham on 08444 140754, or email shop@rotherhamunited.net.
Click here for Charter Standard Booking Form.
Click here for Group Booking Form.
