A defiant Robert Green insisted he will be ready to atone for one of the worst goalkeeping errors in English World Cup history if Fabio Capello entrusts him with a starting spot in the clash with Algeria.

Green committed a calamitous error when he allowed Clint Dempsey’s weak long-range shot to slip out of his grasp and into the net during last night’s 1-1 draw with the United States.

The West Ham goalkeeper knelt with his head in his hands as the rest of the England side looked on in disbelief and Capello now faces a difficult decision ahead of Friday night’s game in Cape Town.

David James is expected to come into the side, despite Capello’s concerns about the Portsmouth veteran’s fitness and the fact that no World Cup-winning team since 1954 has used two different goalkeepers in the tournament.

Nevertheless, Green remains hopeful he will be offered a chance to atone for his error. Facing his critics head on, the 30-year-old vowed to accept the inevitable flak that will be hurled in his direction and insisted the fall-out from his error would only make him more determined to succeed.

“You want to be a man and you want to stand up,” said Green, who produced a string of inconsistent displays in the second half of the season with West Ham.

“It’s at times like this where you want to be tested. If you’re going through a spell of playing good football and making wonderful saves, that’s not tough. This is tough – but this is why you’re in football, to prove yourself.

“That’s what football is all about. It’s not a wonderful thing when someone kicks you but it’s how you bounce back from that that counts.

“Will I play against Algeria? That’s something that the manager will have to answer. I’ll certainly be prepared and ready to play. I’ll prepare just the same and I’ll definitely be wanting to play.

“I’m desperately keen to play and I want to play as many games for England as I possibly can. This is the biggest stage in the world. What’s happened has happened, so be it. It’ll just make me twice as determined to succeed.”

Green’s error came in the 40th minute and cancelled out the advantage England had earned from Steven Gerrard’s fourth-minute goal.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the former Norwich trainee appeared nervous and hesitant in the early stages of the second half, skewing at least one attempted clearance and failing to communicate effectively with substitute defender Jamie Carragher.

Green subsequently made one positive intervention though, turning Jozy Altidore’s shot against the post after the American striker had outpaced Carragher in the penalty box, and feels that save confirmed his mental well-being and ability to bounce back.

He said: “It was a mistake. It’s something that happens in life. I’m not blaming the ball, I should have stopped it, there’s no two ways about it.

“I’ll stop shots like that time and time again in future and in training but you can’t get down about it and you can’t let it impact the rest of your thinking.

“The important thing is not to let it affect you for the rest of the game. Once you’ve made a mistake, that’s all you can do.

“I thought I stood up well and made one very good save. I was pleased to make it and if my head had still been in the crowd or down on the ground at that point, then that would have been the mistake.”

Green was only informed he would be starting Saturday’s match two hours before kick-off and Capello has been criticised for his repeated refusal to reveal the identity of his first-choice goalkeeper at an earlier stage of England’s pre-tournament build-up.

This is the first time England have gone into a World Cup without an established goalkeeping pecking order but Green feels it would be wrong to attribute his error to Capello’s preferred style of man management.

“You prepare for every game as though you’re going to play in it, even if you’re not,” he said.

“If you’re not ready to play, then that’s a mistake, but that wasn’t the case. I’d prepared mentally and prepared for dealing with any trauma that might come along in a game.

“I’m sure the other two guys prepared for this game as though they were playing and we’ll all prepare for Friday as though we’re going to be playing as well.

“It’s not a surprise when you start, put it that way. It’s not an issue. You deal with it and it’s fine.”