Paul Robinson has plenty to prove when he checks in at Blackburn Rovers to meet his new team-mates for the first time today. The former Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper had a torrid campaign last season, when he fell out of favour with club and country.

Yet Robinson will be in good company. Paul Ince, the new Blackburn manager, has to show that he can cut it in the top flight after leaving Milton Keynes Dons to succeed Mark Hughes, and Robbie Fowler, the former England striker, also has to demonstrate that he has one last hurrah in him. Fowler, latterly of Cardiff City, is attempting to fine-tune his fitness while on trial at Ewood Park.

Ince said: “I've got to prove that I can manage in the Premier League. Robbie is here to prove to people that he can score goals in the Premier League and for Paul it is no different. Paul has had his ups and downs with Tottenham and England, but he's an international goalkeeper. He has played for England 40-odd times. So it's a new start for him and I'm looking forward to working with him.”

Robinson is the first signing made by Ince and cost £3.5million from Tottenham. He replaces Brad Friedel, the American who spent almost eight years at Blackburn before moving on to Aston Villa last week. “Obviously it is disappointing to lose Brad,” Ince said. “We tried as hard as we could to keep him, but financially it wasn't to be. I'm disappointed, but we have to move on and we've replaced him with an outstanding goalkeeper.

“Paul is coming to a great bunch of lads. There are no bad eggs in this club, which I've found out pretty quickly. And if there was, they'd have gone by now. Paul is coming into a great environment and the lads will help him.”