# 24 ~ Manuel Almunia

[Oscar Cardozo]

Manuel Almunia
Personal information
Full name	Manuel Rivero Almunia
Date of birth	May 19, 1977 (1977-05-19) (age 30)
Place of birth	Pamplona, Spain
Height	1.93 m (6 ft 4 in)
Playing position	Goalkeeper
Club information
Current club	Arsenal
Number	24
Senior clubs1
Years	Club	App (Gls)*
1997–1999 1999–2000 2000–2001 2001–2004 2001–2002 2002–2003 2003–2004 2004–	CA Osasuna B CA Osasuna CE Sabadell Celta Vigo → SD Eibar (loan) → Recreativo Huelva (loan) → Albacete (loan) Arsenal	44 (0) 00 (0) 25 (0) 00 (0) 35 (0) 02 (0) 24 (0) 14 (0)

[Freddy Adu]

Almunia won't be unsettled by Arsenal rival Lehmann

Manuel Almunia insists he will not be disturbed by any jibes from Arsenal goalkeeping rival Jens Lehmann.

The Spaniard has replaced Lehmann as first choice this season, but has seen his credentials questioned by the experienced German.

"I am in the team and nothing can disturb my mind," said Almunia in the News of the World.

"I want to avoid these stupid battles, but I don't look at anything he says about me, or anything else that comes from outside the team.

"I am enjoying my moment and I don't want to get into trouble with other stuff.

"The team is playing well. I feel very confident in myself. The boss and the other players have given me great support and that is very important to me."

[Freddy Adu]

Almunia: It was Arsenal or honeymoon

Manuel Almunia admits he broke-off his honeymoon to sign for Arsenal.

He told the Daily Express: "When I got married, I travelled to London virtually straight from my wedding.

"I was on a boat just off Naples when my agent rang and told me I had to take a flight to London in two hours for a medical.

"I told my wife we had to leave so we packed quickly and I told the taxi driver I would pay him anything if he got me to the airport in 20 minutes.

"After that it was like being in a movie like Speed, racing through the streets - it was scary for both of us.

"But we just made it and I did my fitness tests with Tony Colbert when I arrived.

"I was on my own in the gym with nobody else at the training ground - just Tony and my agent sitting next to me giving me encouragement but it all went well and here I am."

[Freddy Adu]

Arsenal's Almunia admits he's a keeper out of necessity

Arsenal goalkeeper Manuel Almunia has revealed how necessity forced him between the posts as a kid growing up in Spain.

He revealed: "Running quickly would give me asthma attacks back then. It gave me a lot of problems and so my dad used to take me to the park and take a few shots at me.

"It was the only position I could play."

Almunia added in the Daily Express: "I know I'm in a privileged position. Sometimes, when we score goals and our defenders come back to their positions, I say to Kolo Toure: 'How on earth did we do that?'"

[Freddy Adu]

Arsenal keeper Almunia plays down penalty heroics

Arsenal goalkeeper Manuel Almunia shrugged off his penalty heroics in Saturday's victory over Tottenham.

"Instinct took a big part in this penalty and luck as well," said Almunia. "Robbie Keane changes the side he shoots sometimes, and it's difficult."

Almunia is Spanish but will qualify for England in a year and an international call-up would mark a stunning turnaround for a player that looked prone to errors at the start of his career at Arsenal.

The way Gunners fans sang his name suggests he is firmly ahead of Jens Lehmann in the pecking order.

"I don't know why he hasn't been called up by Spain but all I would only say is that England should take advantage of it and call him up," said manager Arsene Wenger.

"He made a few mistakes but now he looks like he has gained confidence and everyone can see how good he is.

"Everyone makes mistakes - (Jose) Reina, (Edwin) van der Sar, everyone. But he was under more pressure than anyone else in the Premier League because he has been under pressure from an outstanding goalkeeper in Jens Lehmann."

Wenger feels Almunia is thriving with the competition at Arsenal.

"That's the way of things when you are top-level sportsmen: the competition is very strong," said the Frenchman. "It comes from within your camp and also from your opponents.

"I'm not sure what their relationship is like: perhaps they are going on holiday together this week, but I doubt it!"

[Freddy Adu]

Gunners keeper Almunia eyes England switch


Written by: AFP

	Spanish goalkeeper Manuel Almunia, seen here in September 2007, has refused to rule out switching his national colours to England.

LONDON (AFP) - Spanish goalkeeper Manuel Almunia has refused to rule out switching his national colours to England.

The 30-year-old Arsenal keeper was born in Pamplona but is yet to receive a call from Spain's national team boss Luis Aragones, and in a year he will qualify for England.

One of the first tasks for new England coach Fabio Capello will be to solve his own goalkeeping conundrum with Paul Robinson and Scott Carson having committed expensive errors during the doomed Euro 2008 qualifying campaign.

Almunia is currently the in-form goalkeeper in the Premier League after his penalty save in the 2-1 win over Tottenham at the weekend, but Capello will have to wait another year to pick him.

"I will study my situation," said Almunia.

"Spain have never called me. And, if other people want me, I have to study my situation and take a decision because it is good for me, I will not close myself to anything.

"I would be very pleased to take a decision that would make me happy and my family happy.

"I always say I have to wait until that moment to see what is happening at that moment, or which goalkeeper England has, or which goalkeeper Spain has - look at the situation and take a decision."

Almunia admitted it would be a tough decision to turn his back on his country.

"But that's football," he said. "It would be a big decision but I wouldn't care if I had two days to take it."

Arsenal are top of the Premier League but Almunia feels there is plenty to come from Arsene Wenger's side.

"We are not playing too well now, but we have taken three points against Spurs at the weekend," he said.

"I think we have to improve away from home because now we have two consecutive games which are very, very difficult, Portsmouth (Wednesday) and Everton (Saturday).

"After those two games, we will show how strong is Arsenal or what Arsenal can win this year.

"The season is long, but at the moment, we have played 18 games and we are at the top and that means something."

[Cristiano Best 07]

I'm not sure this kid realizes what it takes to even be a top flight club keeper let alone a top international keeper. Last week against Birmingham proved that