NEW Ewood number one Paul Robinson insists he is not daunted by the prospect of having to follow Brad Friedel.

During his eight years at Blackburn, Friedel became a Rovers legend and a huge fans’ favourite thanks to some super-human performances.

But with Friedel now an Aston Villa player, Robinson has been charged with the unenviable task of having to replace the former United States number one, who was arguably Rovers’ greatest ever goalkeeper.

That’s the kind of challenge that would faze most people, let alone someone who is currently trying to rebuild his confidence – and his career – following a torrid six months for club and country.

However, Paul Ince’s first major signing of the summer is clearly a gutsy character, and he seems determined to pen his own name in Ewood folklore.

Robinson said: “Brad Friedel has been an excellent goalkeeper at this football club and people have been saying to me, ‘how are you going to fill his boots?’ “But I’m not coming here to be Brad Friedel, I’m coming here to be Paul Robinson, and I want to show people what I can do.

“It’s no secret I had a rough ride for six months at Tottenham, but I never doubted my own ability.

“Certain situations didn’t work out ideally for me, but this is a fresh start for me and I’m just looking forward to it.”

Robinson has been to Hell and back since he made a high-profile error whilst playing for England in a crucial European Championship qualifier against Croatia 18 months ago.

That mistake, which led to a fierce backlash in the media, clearly ate away at the 28-year-old’s confidence, and he eventually ended up getting dropped, first by England, and then Tottenham, as his career threatened to unravel.

However, whilst he still bears the scars from that whole experience, Robinson insists he is now a stronger person for it, as he prepares to set about proving his critics wrong.

“I don't think there’s anything that can hurt me any more. I can play without fear,” said Rovers’ new £3.5 million signing. “Everybody has a dip in confidence and form and circumstances didn't help last year.

“But it’s helped me develop as a player and as a person. I’ve had everything from winning the Carling Cup to being left out of the team in the space of five to six weeks, and the stuff with England as well.

“I was ready for a new start and a new challenge. This move has helped me find the fire and ambition that I knew I had but maybe drained out of me over last season, not by choice.”

Robinson’s first aim is to start performing consistently again in the Premier League for his new club.

Then, once things have settled down, he intends to win back his England place.

He added: “I’ve still got things to prove. I want to start playing well on a consistent level and get back in the England team. I’m 28 and I've got 42 caps, and I intend to add to those.

“I was linked with a lot of clubs this summer but as soon as Blackburn were interested, I knew where I was going. This is great club and I intend to be here for a long time.

“I think this is a great opportunity for me, and if you look at the league, Blackburn finished higher than Tottenham last season.

“The manager has got to have his own ideas and his own ambitions, but I think with the players he wants to bring in, there’s no reason why we can’t push for Europe, if not this year then certainly next year.”