Scott Carson has claimed "a lesser person may have crumbled" after his England nightmare against Croatia as he vowed to make a favourable impression with new coach Fabio Capello.
Aston Villa goalkeeper Carson was handed his competitive debut by Steve McClaren for the vital Euro 2008 qualifier at Wembley and blundered for the opening goal by Niko Kranjcar as England were eliminated via a 3-2 defeat.
But Carson has responded in a positive manner and, while Paul Robinson has been axed from the squad, he has kept his place for next Wednesday's friendly international against Switzerland.
A series of impressive displays for Villa mean Carson will be vying with David James and the recalled Chris Kirkland to stake an early claim to be the England number one.
Carson, who will hope to help Villa maintain their European push at Fulham on Sunday, said: "A lesser person may have crumbled after the experience against Croatia - but I won't.
"Hopefully I can look back at the game in the coming years and see it as a turning point in my career. I was disappointed at the time but it was just one of those things.
"That's the annoying thing about being a 'keeper in that people remember your mistakes. People say you've got to be mad to be a 'keeper and sometimes I agree with them!
"But the Croatia disappointment has really helped me as a person. I'm not one to dwell on mistakes. I put it to the back of my mind straight away and, since then, I think I've done well for Villa.
"The Villa fans have helped me through the incident and the lads have been superb too. They gave me a bit of banter which has been good and I don't mind taking some of that. It helped me along."
Carson is determined to show Capello he is worth his place in the squad as the Italian begins in earnest to assess his players before the World Cup qualifying campaign gets under way in September.
He said: "I'll certainly be looking to make a good impression. I have a lot to prove. I am only a youngster and I have a lot to learn. It's going to be a challenge and one I'm ready for.
"Fabio Capello has a great track record and he's meant to be a top manager. It should be an exciting time for the country and hopefully it should be good times ahead."
Villa manager Martin O'Neill is full of praise for the way Carson has shrugged off his high-profile blunder.
He said: "Scott is only a young kid and what happened, when you are playing for your country in an important game, was pretty traumatic.
"But I think his response has been excellent. He knew it was going to be a difficult time for a while.
"He had to overcome all of that. Even some of the senior England players thought the criticism they received was a touch over the top so you can imagine what a young goalkeeper would have felt."
O'Neill is convinced Roy Hodgson can revive Fulham, who face Villa on Sunday, and lift them out of the relegation zone.
He said: "I saw them in midweek and I thought they passed the ball very well indeed.
"They have added a couple of new players that will give them a bit more strength and, if anyone can haul them out of trouble, it will be Roy Hodgson.
"He has been an excellent manager. It is a big challenge considering they are down in the bottom three but he wants to do it.
"I wouldn't know Roy well enough to know his reasons but managing in the Premier League is still pretty exciting."
Villa winger Ashley Young will be unavailable while serving a one-match suspension and new signing Wayne Routledge is unlikely to feature but midfielder Shaun Maloney has recovered from a foot injury.
More news from SportingLife.com
