defenders' heels and in off the post. But, no matter what, they've gone in.

And in the English Premier League, where goals are a priceless commodity, not many players have been as prolific as Shaun Goater.

It seems no matter what the critics say about him -- "he's ungainly, lacks pace'' etc, etc -- the lanky Bermudian shrugs his shoulders and gets on with the job.

And in a disappointing season in which his club, Manchester City, have struggled to avoid relegation, and he, personally, has struggled with injuries, what a job he's done.

Having missed almost half of City's games through either injury or boss Joe Royle's decision to leave him on the bench, Goater has still emerged as the club's top goalscorer -- again! Should somehow City pull off a miracle and avoid the drop, Goater's 11 strikes so far will be looked back upon as one of the crucial contributions.

It's no wonder that tomorrow morning British radio station BBC Five Live will feature the affable Bermudian in a soccer profile that will be aired throughout Europe.

As a BBC reporter commented earlier this week, the City marksman has defied all the odds and silenced all of his critics, and that's why they're so keen to tell his story.

No matter where he's played -- Rotherham, Bristol City, Manchester City -- he's topped the goalscoring charts.

They said he couldn't score goals in the First Division, he proved them wrong.

They said he'd be out of his depth in the Premiership, he's proved them wrong again.

Goater might not have the flair or panache of more heralded strikers.

But Joe Royle and his City team-mates will tell anybody who cares to listen that nobody in the game works harder.

He gets his goals because he happens to be in the right place at the right time, and with such regularity that it has little to do with luck or coincidence.

He's a professional's professional. And a player of whom Bermuda should be immensely proud.

Regardless of whether City are relegated or survive to play another season in the Premier League, Shaun Goater has nothing else to prove.

He's the best player this Island has produced since Clyde Best -- some may argue even better.

Best, at West Ham, had the luxury of playing alongside such greats as Bobby Moore, Martin Peters and Geoff Hurst.

Goater has had to make his name in a team void of any such stars.

*** IT WAS good to see the senior national soccer team back in action last weekend, if only against mediocre sides from Tennessee.

It was their first outing in more than a year and long overdue.

Hopefully, Bermuda Football Association can now keep the ball rolling and provide similar matches at least every two or three months.

That's an expensive proposition, but somehow Bermuda needs to find a way to offer its best players incentives and provide the match practice so desperately required in order to improve.

The trip to Nashville was worthwhile if for no other reason than it helped build team morale.

But if the BFA do their part, then it's also up to the players to do theirs.

And that means getting themselves physically fit, which shouldn't be too much to ask.

-- ADRIAN ROBSON