Seaman, 40, quit Tuesday after suffering a recurrence of his longstanding shoulder injury just 12 minutes into Manchester City's 4-2 Premiership defeat away to Portsmouth last weekend.

"For David Seaman these last six months have unfortunately proved an undistinguished curtain call to a previously distinguished career," said the tabloid Daily Express.

It argued that Seaman, Arsenal goalkeeper for 13 years, should have stayed at Highbury as goalkeeping coach rather than left on a free transfer in June to have one final season with City.

The Daily Telegraph, recalled the merits of the mustachioed and pony-tailed Seaman, saying that "for many years, his command of the penalty area and ability to reduce the target for oncoming attackers set Seaman apart as an outstanding keeper."

Even so, he did concede some amazing goals.

Topping the list, because it hap

pened at the 2002 World Cup, was the near 40-yard free-kick from Ronaldinho that sailed over Seaman's head and gave eventual champions Brazil victory in a 2-1 quarter-final win in Japan.

Under the headline 'Forget The Gaffes, Remember The Genius," the tabloid Daily Mirror said: "I wonder if he wishes he had called it quits at the end of last season when he captained Arsenal to victory in the FA Cup final.

In that match, against Southam-pton, Seaman made a vital save just as

he had done in the semi-final to deny Sheffield United.

Meanwhile broadsheet The Times said that his habit of signing autographs 'Safe Hands', a nickname that became popular during the 1996 European Championships in England where Seaman excelled in helping the hosts into the semi-finals, was "never a good idea for a goalie".

But it added: "He wasn't one of those goalies who made 14 impossible saves and then let one through his legs. With Seaman you got competence at the highest possible level."