Fulham target £5m Martyn
last updated Wednesday 16th May 2001, 8:09 AM
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Nigel
Martyn of Leeds
ss |
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Fulham are chasing Leeds goalkeeper Nigel
Martyn to underpin their assault on the Premiership next season.
Manager Jean Tigana, with the financial backing of chairman Mohamed Al Fayed,
has already contacted Elland Road about the 34- year-old England star.
Leeds are certain to demand around £5million for the Cornishman, who
has been in superb form after regaining his place from England Under-21
star Paul Robinson.
David O'Leary, the Leeds manager, has conceded privately that it will become
impossible to keep both happy next season, with Robinson anxious to impress
England coach Sven Goran Eriksson.
Martyn is believed to be flattered by the interest from the First Division
champions but his keenness to match the estimated £25,000 a week that
England rival David Seaman earns at Arsenal could bring him into conflict
with Tigana, who is reluctant to break the club's wage structure.
Nigel Martyn history
Became the country's first £1 million 'keeper in joining Crystal Palace
from Bristol Rovers in 1989, having made over 100 appearances for the West
Country club.
Leeds paid £2.25 million for him in the summer of 1996 - then a record
for a goalkeeper. He had a superb first season for the Whites as part of
George Graham's Leeds revolution.
His form has continued to be a model of consistency and he was an ever-present
in the 1999/2000 Leeds campaign.
He helped United to third place in the Premiership, a place in the Champions
League and the semi-finals of the UEFA Cup.
Part of the ill-fated Euro 2000 squad and was guilty of a serious error
in the vital group-closer with Romania.
Had established himself as the England No 2 goalkeeper and looked set to
take over from David Seaman whose form had slipped.
However, with a wealth of young goalkeepers emerging, including Leeds team-mate
Paul Robinson, Martyn must try to establish himself in the England set-up
once more.
In his first game incharge England boss Sven Goran Eriksson gave Martyn
the second-half of the friendly against Spain in February. Martyn was much
busier than David James was in the first-half and looked very comfortable
with the work load. |
Source soccernet
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