Davie Hay: Celtic and England keeper Fraser Forster has World in his hands

The fact that he is in Roy Hodgson's group so close to the finals certainly augurs well for him, and deservedly so.

He has been in squads before but there have always been doubts, especially south of the border, about whether he would be in with a shout of getting into the squad for Brazil.

There is still work to be done and Fraser's place on the plane is by no means secure.

Roy has picked a big squad for the Denmark game next week as he looks to cast his eye over a number of players for every position and he has selected four goalkeepers.

Joe Hart is a definite but it looks as if it is between Fraser and the other two - John Ruddy and Ben Foster - for the final two places in Brazil.

Foster worked with Roy at West Brom so he is a keeper he knows well and obviously likes. Whether that gives him an edge I don't know.

It looks like it will come down to choosing two from three and what he sees over the next few days might shape his opinion one way or the other.

Joe Hart will surely start as the No.1 this summer and Roy will then have to decide between Fraser, Foster and Ruddy in terms of who makes the squad and who will be the first choice back-up keeper.

The fact that Fraser is obviously still in the manager's thoughts is a good thing and I would hope that he makes the final cut.

The game against Denmark next week is England's last friendly before Roy names his final pool for the World Cup so it is a real chance for Fraser to make an impression.

He deserves his chance to play international football and it would be great if he makes the cut in a few weeks.

If Fraser does go to the World Cup, it could convince him that he doesn't need to leave Celtic to further his England ambitions.

I think he is enjoying life at Parkhead and he has never made any noises that he wants to leave the club.

Celtic have given him the chance to play in the Champions League and now at international level as well.

The time may come when an offer comes in that suits all parties and Fraser does leave but the fact that he is getting international call-ups while in Scotland is a positive.

He merits all the praise he is getting and he has developed into an outstanding keeper.

It was unfortunate that his clean-sheet record came to an end in the 2-1 defeat to Aberdeen in midweek but if you look at the strike from Jonny Hayes that finally beat him, there is no goalie in the world that would have saved it.

It was a fantastic strike and sometimes you just have to take your hat off to the forward and say there is nothing you could have done.

No matter what level of football you are playing at, it is a great achievement to go for as long as Fraser did without conceding a goal.

It only takes one error from him or a mistake from a defender and it is gone and, along the way, he has made some terrific saves to keep his record going and write his name in the history books.

It is no mean achievement to have a record like that and it takes an extremely high level of concentration.

There have been times in games where Fraser has been a virtual spectator as Celtic have dominated but he has had to remain alert, he knows he can be called upon at any time to make a crucial save.

He has done that on a number of occasions and proved what a really good goalkeeper he is once again this season.

A lot of credit, of course, has to go to Fraser for the way he has performed this season but I don't think you can underestimate the importance of Stevie Woods, the Celtic goalkeeping coach, in his progression over the last few years.

Most clubs these days have a specialised goalie coach and Celtic have a very good one in Stevie, who is really experienced and a big part of Neil Lennon's backroom staff.

Keepers and their coaches have a really in-depth relationship, they work together really closely and the player will put a lot of trust in his coach.

Fraser has stated the importance of having Stevie there and the two of them clearly work well together.

One of the biggest differences I have noticed in Fraser is his agility.

When he first came to the club on loan from Newcastle, you found out very quickly that he was a good shot-stopper and had a lot of potential.

But his agility, because of his size, was something that was brought into question.

He has been working hard and there was a obviously a change in his preparations a couple of summers ago that has allowed him to make the step up to the next level and get to where he is just now.

You need to have that determination and commitment as a player to work hard at your game and get yourself in the best possible shape and Fraser clearly has that.

Stevie would have played a big part in that and the two of them have developed a real bond, as I am sure they have with the other keepers at Celtic.

Confidence is such a big thing for a goalkeeper and Stevie has instilled that in Fraser and helped him realise the potential that we knew he had.

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