Young Spurs Keeper Given Chance By Redknapp

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Young Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper Ben Alnwick is to be given the chance to impress new Spurs manager Harry Redknapp after the former Portsmouth boss opted to keep the former Sunderland player at White Hart Lane rather than send Alnwick back out on loan to Carlisle United.

Redknapp intends to have a closer look at 21-year-old Alnwick, with the Tottenham boss unsure of Brazilian International Heurelho Gomes, who has made a string of errors since his £8million summer move from PSV Eindhoven.

Alnwick has just returned from a four-week loan spell with Carlisle and despite manager Gregg Abbott wanting to extend the deal he understands the decision by Tottenham to want to keep the England Under-21 International.

“It was important that any decision that was made was in the best interests of the player,” Abbott told the official Carlisle United website.

“The coaching and management staff at Tottenham want to take a closer look at him, and it may open up an opportunity for him with them.

“We are happy to go along with that, as Ben obviously wants to show them what he is capable of.

“We thank Ben for his efforts over the course of the last four weeks. It has been a successfully stay with us and he is definitely still on our radar but, obviously, we wish him well with what he is trying to do with Spurs.”

Cesar: I Am The Solution For Tottenham's Goalkeeping Dilemma

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Tottenham Hotspur boss Harry Redknapp is weighing up the options already at his disposal in the goalkeeper department at White Hart Lane following Brazilian International Heurelho Gomes’ latest blunder against Fulham in the Premier League clash at Craven Cottage on Saturday.

27-year-old Gomes (left) has made a string of high profile errors for Spurs since his summer transfer from Dutch Champions PSV Eindhoven, with Tottenham manager Redknapp now ready to look at alternatives to the Brazilian until a replacement can be found in the January transfer window.

Veteran goalkeeper Cesar Sanchez, who was also a summer signing for the North London club is one option. Cesar has plenty of top-level experience, having been capped for Spain and winning the Champions League with Real Madrid in 2002 and La Liga twice in 2001 and 2003 during five-years at the Bernabeu.

The 37-year-old has made one appearance for Spurs this season coming on for the injured Gomes in the 4-2 Carling Cup win over Liverpool last Wednesday, with the summer signing from Real Zaragoza claiming to be the solution to Redknapp’s problems between the posts at White Hart Lane.

“I am here as a solution for the coach,” Cesar said in Marca.

“Whether I play or not, I am not going to change; I will keep a smile on my face and be focused on my club duty. But, of course, I like to play.”

The other alternative to Redknapp is England Under-21 International Ben Alnwick, who has just returned to Tottenham after a loan spell at Carlisle United. 21-year-old Alnwick will be assessed by Redknapp before the Spurs boss decides whether to keep the former Sunderland keeper at White Hart Lane or send the young keeper back out on loan, with Carlisle manager Gregg Abbott keen to have Alnwick back at Brunton Park.

Redknapp will use the International break to have a good look at both Cesar and Alnwick, before deciding whether to persevere with Gomes or hand either veteran Cesar or youngster Alnwick the chance to prove themselves in the next Premiership match against Blackburn Rovers next Saturday.