Soccer: James targets swift return

Crocked West Ham goalkeeper David James believes he can be playing in the Premiership again within three months.

James, who was robbed of his debut for the Hammers at his old club Liverpool yesterday, is determined to overcome the knee injury he suffered as an England substitute last Wednesday against Holland.

James watched from the Anfield directors’ box, his knee encased in a heavy support, and said: ‘‘I think I can be back in three months and I mean playing.

‘‘I have snapped the cruciate ligament, but it’s a break in the middle which I am told is a lot quicker to heal than if it snaps at either end.

‘‘The good thing is that I have had a full pre-season training. I am fit and I can continue to do fitness work in the gym.

‘‘I was gutted about the incident and the boss Glenn Roeder was gutted too. But these things happen, there’s no used getting upset about it now.

‘‘It could have happened to Michael Owen in that second half, it could have happened to anybody.’’

James will have specialist treatment in Leeds this week and then hopes to start his recuperation back with West Ham soon.

He added: ‘‘When I saw the incident re-run on TV and the collision with Martin Keown, it didn’t look much. I just hope he’s okay because he didn’t play for Arsenal this weekend either.’’

The 31-year-old smiled when he was told that the save he made in the incident from a Jimmy Hasselbaink shot was top class. ‘‘At least he didn’t score,’’ said the West Ham stopper.

Roeder revealed after the game that he had abandoned his attempt to sign Bosnian centre-back Misrad Hibic from Athletico Madrid.

The West Ham boss now plans to continue his search for new talent and is believed to be on the brink of signing Don Hutchison from Sunderland and is also tracking Arsenal’s Ray Parlour.