A goalkeeper I really like is Holland's Edwin van der Sar.
I think he is a magnificent goalkeeper - he is big and strong and because of his size commands his penalty area very well.
 Van der Sar is a magnificent goalkeeper |
He is a great football player and his presence at the back helps his team so much. France keeper Fabien Barthez is notorious for picking up his game in major championships.
He has done really well in the championships he has played in and I think Spain's Santiago Canizares is a really good keeper as well.
Petr Cech, who is joining Chelsea in the summer, has a fantastic reputation.
He could be one of the stars as well - the Czech Republic are one of the favourites to win the tournament and to do that they need everybody playing up to their top level. You need the goalkeeper to shine.
Obviously I'm very interested in the form of Denmark's Thomas Sorensen.
He is a good, good goalkeeper but I think he suffered a bit after the World Cup. He was possibly the best player Denmark had at the World Cup until three minutes into the match against England.
Sorensen made a decision to come for a cross and did not get anywhere near it. After that you could see his game fall to pieces and he has had a difficult time picking himself up.
 |  At international level the most important thing is consistency |
However, this season at Aston Villa he has started to improve and is finishing really well now. Thomas' technical ability is magnificent, his agility is good, he is a good shot stopper and can control his area.
And you can see the confidence is there again and that is very important.
Thomas will come back now as a much better goalkeeper and the European championships is an opportunity to prove a lot of people wrong.
Italy's Gianluigi Buffon is very much a shot-stopper more than anything but he has Alessandro Nesta and Fabio Cannavaro in front of him so who cares, let him stop the shots and they will clear up.
 Buffon is a great shot-stopper |
He makes himself wide, but he is not the sort of goalkeeper who will come for crosses and take the pressure off defenders. Buffon is very good in one-on-one situations - perhaps better than anyone in the world at that - and with the defenders Italy have he suits their team.
I've played against Buffon on many occasions and I've never seen him play poorly.
He rarely makes mistakes and that is key for a goalkeeper.
Being part of the defensive unit is a negative thing - it is not about creating things is about stopping things. It is about being steady.
For a goalkeeper, when you get to international level it is not about fancy saves - the most important thing is not to make mistakes.
MMIX
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