If you or I injured a little finger, it wouldn’t have much real impact on our professional lives. But when you’re a Premier League goalkeeper, it’s a different story… Boaz Myhill was kicked on the finger by Lloyd Dyer when playing for West Bromwich Albion in a FA Cup tie at Birmingham City a fortnight ago, and had to have 10 stitches in the wound. “It’s just one big scab now, so I’m on my way into training today for the first time since,” Boaz told me on Monday morning. “And I’m hoping to be involved in the game against Swansea on Wednesday.” At the age of 32, Boaz is still plenty young enough for a goalkeeper. And he’s happy to fight for his place in a West Brom side in which ex-England man Ben Foster is generally first choice. “Some players throw their toys out of the pram when they’re not in the first team, but that’s not my style,” he said. “I’m paid to do a job and I’ll carry on doing it until I’m told any different. “Tony Pulis has taken over as manager here and he is absolute class,” added Boaz, who is under contract at The Hawthorns until June 2016.  “I’ve come across him many times as an opposition boss, and he’s always been a hard guy to play against. But he’s really enjoyable to work for.” Boaz was born in California, the son of American father Sean and Welsh mother Chris. The family came over to Britain when Boaz was very young, and he was raised in Weston Rhyn. He showed great promise as a schoolboy footballer with Oswestry Boys Club and the Marches School – not always as a keeper – and signed for Aston Villa as a 12-year-old. Although he learned a lot at Villa Park, he never broke through into the first team, and he made his Football League debut while on loan to Bradford City.He gained further Football League experience with loan spells at Macclesfield Town and Stockport County, but the defining moment of his career came in June 2003 when he signed for Hull City – then in League Two. The Tigers went on an amazing run which saw them climb all the way up to the Premier League and Boaz was one of four players – the others were Ian Ashbee, Andy Dawson and Ryan France – to turn out for the club in all four divisions. Boaz picks out the 2008 Championship play-off final, when a Dean Windass goal gave Hull a 1-0 win over Bristol City in front of 87,000 fans, as the highlight of his career. “It was an unbelievable experience,” he said.  “And it wasn’t just the game – there was a massive prize at the end of it.”Probably Boaz’s best ever performance came in a goalless draw against Tottenham at White Hart Lane in January 2010 – a game I shall always remember for the interview on Match of the Day with then Spurs boss Harry Redknapp. “Their keeper had a fantastic game,” said ’Arry. “You’re always disappointed when you don’t win a match like that, but he gave one of the finest goalkeeping performances I’ve seen in years. He made seven or eight world-class saves.” “It was a great day all round,” added Boaz, “because when I was being interviewed in the tunnel after the game, I found a tenner on the floor!” Despite playing for England at Youth and Under-20 level, Boaz was eligible to for full international football for all four home countries and the USA. He eventually chose Wales – chiefly because his mum wanted him to! – and he made 19 appearances for the Principality before announcing his retirement from the international game in May last year. A proud family man – he is married to Kate and they have three daughters, Jessica (9) and seven-year-old twins Francesca and Isabelle – Boaz hated spending too much time away from home. “I enjoyed playing for Wales, but being out of the country for 10 days at a time in a lonely hotel room just wasn’t my scene,” he said. “And twice I was away with Wales on the twins’ birthday.” He also likes to keep in touch with his mates back in Oswestry: “My time there was obviously a massive part of my life, and I like to get back there as often as I can.” I couldn’t let Boaz go without asking him about cricket – like fellow ‘keeper Joe Hart, he was a superb all-rounder in his schooldays and a regular in the Shropshire age-group sides. “Cricket is the greatest social game known to man,” he laughed. “I got my first real taste of camaraderie when I was picked for the men’s teams at Oswestry. “And when I’ve finished with the game I’m playing now, I’ll be back down to Morda Road like a shot!”