Newcastle United goalkeeper Tim Krul has paid tribute to Steve Harper and Aston Villa's Shay Given for helping him become Holland's No1.

Krul, 24, revealed Given and Harper spent time showing him the ropes of how to be a top keeper - literally.

He said: "Shay and Steve told me to hold my arms straight in front of me, to gain more time to react in a one-on-one situation.

"On a certain day they decided to force me to do it in a more extreme way. They pulled my wrists with a rope on training.

"That's how I learned to use the right posture. It really helped me."