Liverpool goalkeeper Chris Kirkland returns to the Under-21s for the first time since the home leg against Macedonia at Reading in October and Platt is delighted to see him in an England shirt again.

"It's a great boost for us to have him back," he said.

"Chris has the same sort of presence and he is an extremely dedicated person that wants to become better and better at his trade.

"He gives you a safety net. It's good to know if you screw up in attack you've more than an even chance of Chris putting it right."

Kirkland had a disappointing season last year. After making it into the Liverpool starting line-up following a dip in form of Pole Jerzy Dudek, the 22-year old - who has been tipped by many to become England's number one - picked up a knee ligament injury in an FA Cup tie at Selhurst Park, forcing him out for the rest of the season.

A call to the full England squad for the friendly against Croatia in August underlined the high regard in which he is held by the national team coaches. And Platt thinks it's only a matter of time before Kirkland is the first name on Sven's team sheet, taking his place as the successor to David Seaman.

 

"To be honest, I've seen a lot of youth football across the world since I took this job and I think in Chris what we have is the best young goalkeeper in the world, so it ain't bad to have his name down there.

"With players they hit a ceiling at times, and although he's only young, he's still pushing the ceiling up. It's not closed him in."

"It's unfair to compare because I didn't know David as a youngster. I only knew him at Arsenal at a time when he was experienced," added Platt.

"But we are always looking for comparisons.

"It's not right to say Chris is the new David Seaman, but unfortunately that's what he is going to have to endure. I played with David Seaman for a long, long period of time at Arsenal and there's a presence in the goal.

"Certainly, if he continues to raise the bar then it won't be long before people are looking for the new Chris Kirkland."

Kirkland and the England Under-21s team will be back in Liverpool next week when they take on the flair of the Portuguese, who will include Manchester United's recent acquisition, Cristiano Ronaldo.

If you'd like to go and cheer on Platt's men in this vital qualifier, you can contact the telephone hotline on 0870 7383 7866, by fax on 0151 286 9119 or at the stadium ticket office.

Alternatively, Tickets, which are priced at £10 for adults and £5 for children and senior citizens, can be purchased from Ticketmaster.co.uk