Spain and Liverpool FC goalkeeper Pepe Reina is making huge advances to being chosen by Luis Aragonés as Spain’s first choice for the No.1 jersey in the World Cup finals, hoping to take the place of current first-choice keeper, Real Madrid’s Iker Casillas.

Reina's clean sheet yesterday equalled the Premiership club’s record for the number of consecutive clean sheets. Pepe Reina's shut out against Middlesbrough FC yesterday was the team's tenth in a row, equalling the record set by ex-Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish's 1987/88 side.

Reina has already gained the attention of the Spain coach, and made his debut for the ‘Furia Roja’ in a friendly match against Uruguay on the 17th August 2005. A game that Spain went on to win 2-0.

Spain coach Luis Aragonés has also included Reina in a 33-strong World Cup get-together on Monday to meet up in a Madrid hotel and discuss World Cup preparations.

Fellow Liverpool FC players Luis Garcia, Fernando Morientes, and Xabi Alonso were included in the group, but all have been exempted from the meeting because of commitments at the World Club Championship in Japan at the end of next week.

23 year-old Reina, real name José Manuel Reina Páez, was signed by Liverpool from Villarreal in July 2005. Before moving to Villarreal, Reina, as a trainee, made a total of 29 appearances for Spanish giants Barcelona from 2000 - 2002.

He arrived in the English Premiership with a reputation as being a penalty-saving specialist, having saved seven of the nine penalty kicks he faced during his time at Villarreal in the 2004/2005 season.

Since arriving at Anfield, Reina has taken over as No.1 choice goalkeeper in the place of European Cup hero, and Poland national keeper Jerzy Dudek, and is currently seen as one of the most promising young goalkeepers in European football.

Today he assured himself a place in Liverpool history with his run of clean-sheets, and is just one game away from having the record as his own.

With Barcelona’s Victor Valdes also in the equation, this may leave the ‘Furia Roja’s’ coach with a tough choice to make for the finals. Spain are scheduled to play just one World Cup warm-up match, on March the 1st, before next year's World Cup finals in Germany, so all three goalkeepers will be out to impress Aragonés.

List of the Spain squad members invited to attend the get-together, and their club sides:

Goalkeepers:
Iker Casillas (Real Madrid), Pepe Reina (Liverpool), Victor Valdes (Barcelona)

Defenders:
Antonio Lopez (Atlético Madrid), Pablo Ibanez (Atlético Madrid), Oleguer (Barcelona), Carles Puyol (Barcelona), Juanito (Real Betis), Asier del Horno (Chelsea), Joan Capdevila (Deportivo Coruna), Ivan Helguera (Real Madrid), Michel Salgado (Real Madrid), Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid), Carlos Marchena (Valencia)

Midfielders:
Cesc Fabregas (Arsenal), Jose Antonio Reyes (Arsenal), Andres Iniesta (Barcelona), Xavi (Barcelona), Joaquin (Real Betis), Pedro Munitis (Deportivo Coruna), Juan Carlos Valeron (Deportivo Coruna), Ivan de la Pena (Espanyol), Luis Garcia (Liverpool), Xabi Alonso (Liverpool), Guti (Real Madrid), David Albelda (Valencia), Ruben Baraja (Valencia), Vicente (Valencia), Marcos Senna (Villarreal)

Forwards:
Fernando Torres (Atlético Madrid), Fernando Morientes (Liverpool), Raul (Real Madrid), David Villa (Valencia)

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