Celtic's Forster has whole world in his hands

The Celtic keeper was an excited member of the England World Cup squad which flew out to their training camp in Portugal yesterday.

Resplendent in his England suit, shirt and tie, the giant shot-stopper already looks the part.

But his ambition does not end with his inclusion in Roy Hodgson's travelling party.

Forster wants to push No.1 Joe Hart all the way, and will use the training base and, he hopes, at least one of the warm-up matches against Peru at Wembley on May 30 and Honduras - Emilio Izaguirre et al - and Ecuador when they move to Miami at the start of next month, to push his claims.

The squad will finally fly into Brazil on June 8, six days before they kick off their group games in Manaus against Italy.

It could be considered the most important summer of Forster's career, though he would argue the close-season when he was made to sweat before Celtic came up with the £2million to finally convert his loan deal to a permanent move was even more significant, given that it provided the platform for him to launch his push for international recognition.

It is a move which was ridiculed by many so-called experts down south who christened it the beginning of the end of his hopes of winning a cap.

But - not for the first time -this former economics student had it all worked out, and is now enjoying the last laugh.

Neil Lennon and Celtic goalie coach, Stevie Woods, have helped propel him to a level many believed was impossible for an Englishman making the move to Scotland.

The belief was that anyone following this particular path should surrender their international aspirations at the border.

But 26-year-old Forster has proved a ground-breaker, not only winning his first cap - as Alan Thompson while a Celt did before him - but going on to establish himself in the squad, overcoming the challenge from Premier League keepers, including Norwich's John Ruddy, in the process.

For the Hexham-born giant, however, it is not the end of the rainbow, but the beginning of the road.

He wants to add to the single appearance he made in the defeat to Chile in November. And if that opportunity comes in the build-up games ahead of the World Cup finals, all the better.

Forster has already embraced being part of the squad, handling his media duties with aplomb.

But it is on the training pitch he really wants to impress.

And, following a brief break after helping Celtic clinch their third title in a row - and recording his 100th clean sheet for the club - he is up for the cup.

The big man means to make the most of his Portuguese prep period and said: "It can only help, to have a bit more time with the lads.

"Obviously, the gaffer wants to work on different things.

"And this extra bit of time is something you don't really get as a national team because, normally, the trips are so short.

"So this will give us the time together to work on things, like team shape and how we want to play."

Hard work is what makes Forster tick, and is the foundation for his success.

He is the first man into Lennoxtown every day, and, more often than not, once his yoga and extra gym work is over, the last player to leave.

His reward for this effort and determination to improve has been his most consistent season and headline-making performances in the Champions League, the catalyst for his inclusion in Hodgson's squad.

Now the World Cup beckons, and the normally-laid-back Forster can't hide his excitement.

"We all got a text just before the squad came out," he revealed.

"You sit all morning waiting on that text to come through. You don't leave your phone anywhere.

"It's a very special moment, and you then have the opportunity to tell your friends and family, and it something you will remember for ever."

Forster added: "It is something special, something you dreamed of as a kid. A World Cup in Brazil is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."

Like everyone else in the travelling party, Forster is relieved they are not burdened down with huge expectation.

For once, there appears to be a recognition down south that they are not among the favourites.

But don't get the impression they are just happy to be there. Forster and Co. want to make their presence felt.

"When you look at the group, I don't think there is ever an easy game," he said pragmatically. "Italy and Uruguay will be really tough.

"But all the games will be really hard, and then there's the climate, as well. So it is not straightforward.

"It's a World Cup, and every team is there on merit.

"Everyone will have something to prove to someone, and every team will give 100 per cent."

Forster has already proved his point to those who shook their head when he swapped Newcastle for Celtic.

That decision showed his strength of character and self-belief.

They are qualities which serve him well in what is often the position most open to criticism, every mistake analysed to the nth degree as, more often than not, it leads to the concession of a goal.

But Forster has shoulders broad enough to deal with whatever is thrown at him, and will not attempt to disconnect from the rest of the world while he is in Brazil.

"It will be hard not to know what people are saying," he confirmed in a question-and-answer session with fans on Sky Sports.

"Obviously, there are times when it benefits you to distance yourself, keep your head switched on and be part of the group.

"But I think, at a World Cup, it will be hard to avoid what other people are saying."

As ever, the best response is to have the final word. And, in this instance, results shout loudest of all.

Which is why Forster reckons the squad must travel in belief as well as hope and said: "You have got to believe you can win every game.

"I think it's important to take every game as it comes and don't look too far ahead.

"But, you can't go with any mindset other than being 100 per cent positive and go into each game wanting to win it."