Sorensen - saluted by his deputy. (Allsport)

By John Skilbeck, PA International

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Thomas Sorensen is Peter Reid's £10million man, a tried and true presence behind an often questionable defence at Sunderland.

Boss Reid hails his Danish international as world class, and international understudy Peter Kjaer reckons the World Cup could be a platform for the 25-year-old to rid himself of the ghost of Peter Schmeichel.

In fact, Kjaer rates Sorensen so highly he believes it will not be long before he leaves the Stadium Of Light to join an elite European club.

Reid told Aston Villa they would have to stump up £10million when John Gregory made an curious approach last year.

And Sorensen's value to the Sunderland cause cannot be underestimated. The north-east Premiership club signed him for a bargain £500,000 from hometown club Odense in 1998.

For Denmark too, he has taken on the number one jersey from Schmeichel and the transition has been almost seamless.

Kjaer, who sat on the bench 35 times as understudy to Schmeichel, accepts Sorensen deserves to be a permanent fixture in the Danish team and is willing to travel to Korea in the knowledge he will only be called upon if injury strikes.

Kjaer, now playing for Aberdeen in Scotland after a short spell at Besiktas, said: "If you feel that he was a bad goalkeeper it would be a big problem, but he isn't. He's very good.

"He's just 25 and I think that - as he's a goalkeeper - that's still quite young and he'll become better.

"I think when Thomas is 28, 29 or 30 he'll be at his highest level.

"I've been on the bench for Schmeichel 35 times and now it's the same situation with Thomas."

Kjaer happily accepts the current situation and admits that, at 36, he is still learning from Sorensen.

"At the time I was on the bench for Peter, it didn't frustrate me because he was that good a goalkeeper," he added.

"He was the best in the world.

"Thomas will improve and maybe in a year, two or three he will play for one of the bigger teams in Europe. He continues to impress me with every game he plays.

"Because of his age, he is as certain to keep his place in the team as Peter (Schmeichel) ever was."

Sorensen's first season at Sunderland was a dream, as the Black Cats climbed out of the First Division as champions and conceded just 28 goals.

They finished seventh in their first season back in the top-flight, with Sorensen emerging as one of the team's key figures.

Such form earned him the role as Schmeichel's international understudy and his debut came on November 17 1999 as a 19th-minute substitute for Schmeichel in a friendly against Israel.

Patient, aware his time would come, Sorensen then warmed the bench for a year before collecting his second cap on his first start for Denmark in a 2-1 victory over Germany on November 15 2000.

He holds no fear of playing at the highest level, and is relishing facing world champions France, as well as Senegal and Uruguay, in the opening round.

"I meet these players every day in the Premier League anyway," he said.

"I'm not at all scared of playing, or worried about whether I can handle the pressure of having the whole of Denmark's hopes on my shoulders."

They are ebullient words from a player yet to feature at a major championship.

Schmeichel's big break came in similar circumstances at Euro 92: to dismiss Sorensen's chance of making a similar impact would be just doltish.