Brad Friedel

At 53 years old, Brad Friedel has this physical status:

Bradley Howard Friedel (born May 18, 1971) is a retired American soccer goalkeeper and former head coach of the Major League Soccer team New England Revolution.Friedel played 84 games for the United States national team from 1992 to 2005, and he has represented his country in three FIFA World Cup tournaments.

With 310, he is the current Premier League record holder for the most consecutive appearances, a feat he achieved during spells with Blackburn Rovers, Aston Villa, and Tottenham Hotspur.

The last Premier League games Friedel missed were against Tottenham and Birmingham City on May 10 and May 15, 2004, respectively, until he was left out of the Tottenham team on October 7, 2012. Friedel is also Aston Villa's oldest-ever player, a record he set on February 1, 2011 while playing in the club's Premier League fixture away from Manchester United.

Friedel's age of 39 years and 259 days surpassed the previous record held by Ernie Callaghan, who last played for Villa against Grimsby Town in April 1947, aged 39 years and 257 days.

Friedel's last game for Villa was May 22, 2011, a 1–0 home victory over Liverpool, aged 40 years and four days. Friedel became the first player to play in a Premier League match for the club at Aston Villa, defeating Jimmy Cantrell's near-80-year-old record.

Personal life

Friedel, despite being born in a Midwestern state of Ohio, developed a slight English accent after living in the north of the United States for more than a decade. "I don't think I have an accent at all." I think I sound American, according to them. I am English, and Americans like me. "I think I'm trapped in the middle."

Friedel is a fan of the Cleveland Browns, which former Aston Villa Chairman Randy Lerner owned until August 2012.

Tim Harris, a former American international goalkeeper, has also been named as his all-time soccer hero by Friedel. "The one who started my journey," Friedel says of Harris.

Friedel founded a non-profit soccer academy in Lorain, Ohio, at a cost of about $10 million, teaching children aged 12 to 18. After the 2008 financial crisis, Premier Soccer Academy had trouble retaining and obtaining corporate sponsorship, but the academy ceased in 2011 and 2011. Friedel applied for bankruptcy relief in the United Kingdom in January of this year as a result of student loans.

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Youth and college career

Friedel, a boy from Lakewood, Ohio, grew up in Bay Village, where he attended Westerly Elementary School, Bay Middle School, and Bay High School. Friedel's ascension to football, basketball, and tennis excelled at all three sports. In 1989, he was named Bay High's Outstanding Athlete of the Year award. In 1990, he was invited to try out as a walk-on for UCLA's basketball team. He began as a forward on his youth soccer team before shifting to goalkeeping. Friedel graduated from Bay High in 1989. He was inducted into the Bay High Hall of Fame in 2007.

Friedel played college soccer at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). In 1990, he kept his goal for the Bruins to the NCAA championship. He was selected as the first team All-American goalkeeper in 1991 and 1992, and he was named the first national soccer player in 1993. He appeared in 66 games for UCLA, all of whom he started. Friedel has been selected to the College Team of the Century by Soccer America magazine.

Professional career

Friedel left UCLA early to pursue a career in academia. He started by attempting to join Nottingham Forest under Brian Clough, but was refused a work permit, the first in a string of failed attempts to relocate to England. Friedel survived after a brief trial with Celtic in Scotland and joined the United States Soccer Federation (USSF) and spent exclusively with the US national team as it prepared for the 1994 FIFA World Cup. Friedel began looking for a professional team following the conclusion of the World Cup.

Friedel was signed by Newcastle United's manager Kevin Keegan, but a work permit was refused. While awaiting British authorities' acceptance, he played with Newcastle as an on-loan player from the USSF.

Friedel made his way into Danish Superliga Brndby IF in the spring of 1995. In 1995, he stayed with the club as back-up to Mogens Krogh. Friedel remained with Brndby until he returned to the United States to rejoin the national team, then preparing for the 1995 United States Cup and Copa America.

Friedel's third attempt to join an English club, this time Sunderland, after the two tournaments. Friedel spent time training with St. Patrick's Athletic, a Sunderland manager Peter Reid's brother, while awaiting a decision regarding his latest request for a work permit. When Friedel's agent refused to obtain a British work visa, his agent arranged a $1.1 million transfer from the USSF to the top Turkish team Galatasaray in 1995. Graeme Souness, Friedel's new Blackburn Rovers manager, was in charge of Galatasaray. Friedel made the move from the Turkish Crew to Major League Soccer in July 1996, following the conclusion of the Turkish season. He began a three-year deal with the Crew in February 1997 when he was named team's starter. He was named MLS Best XI and named MLS Goalkeeper of the Year in 2011 during the year.

In 1997, Friedel made a transfer to Liverpool, worth £1.7 million. After the first request was denied, Liverpool secured a work permit for Friedel on appeal on December 23, 1997. On February 28, 1998, he made his debut against Aston Villa. Although Friedel had some early success with the Reds, he had a rough time in nearly three years, including two appearances in the UEFA Cup, as he sat behind first David James and later Sander Westerveld.

After a work permit was granted in November 2000, Friedel was signed by Graeme Souness on a free transfer. Friedel's consistent performances throughout Rovers' promotion-winning 2000–01 season paved the way for Blackburn's return to the Premiership and then firmly established their top-tier position in the ensuing seasons.

Friedel's best performances for Blackburn include his appearances against Tottenham Hotspur in the League Cup Final in early 2002, when he was voted Man of the Match. Friedel made several saves but was only defeated by a deflected free kick in a 2–1 win over Arsenal at Highbury. Gordon Strachan likened him to Superman after his brilliant appearance away from Southampton: "Friedel must have been changed in a telephone box." I wouldn't be surprised if he takes his shirt off there's a blue jersey with a 'S' on top.

Friedel's 15 clean sheets earned him the Player of the Year award at the 2002–03 season, as well as selection to the Premiership Starting XI. Friedel scored a goal from open play in the 90th minute in an away match against Charlton Athletic on February 21, 2004. Friedel's goal tied the game at 2–2, but Charlton won the match 3–2. After Peter Schmeichel's departure for Aston Villa in 2001, he became the second goalkeeper in Premier League history (excluding own goals).

Friedel's deal with Blackburn Rovers came to an end on April 14, 2006, citing his passion for the club as a reason. On February 5, 2008, two years later, he signed a two-year contract extension, saying, "I am delighted to have extended the contract." It was not difficult to make. To me, the Blackburn Rovers are home to me. "This is my club, and I have a special affinity with it." He will, however, leave the club at the end of the season to join Aston Villa, just two league appearances shy of Terry Gennoe's club record of 289 for a goalkeeper.

He was one of the first seven players to be inducted into the club's Hall of Fame in February 2019.

Friedel had requested Blackburn's permission to speak with Aston Villa if an invitation was accepted, with Manchester City apparently interested in signing the American. The club accepted a transfer request for Friedel, which is expected to be around £2.5 million, subject to Blackburn's acceptance of a replacement goalkeeper. On July 25, Villa held talks with Friedel, and the day after, he signed a three-year deal with Villa. During Villa's Intertoto Cup match against Odense, he was unveiled at halftime and made his debut against Reading on August 2 at the Madejski Stadium; just ten minutes in, the hosts were awarded a penalty, which Friedel later saved. He made his competitive debut against Hafnarfjoru in the first leg of the UEFA Cup second qualifying round, far away from home. Villa defeated the match 4–1. Friedel played his first league match for Villa on August 17, 2008, the first match for Villa in 2008-09, in which Villa defeated Manchester City 4–2 at home.

After his 167th appearance in a 0–0 draw with Fulham, he set a new record for continuous games played in the Premier League on November 30, 2008. Referee Martin Atkinson suspended him against former Liverpool player Anfield. Steven Gerrard converted a penalty against Villa's second-choice goalkeeper Brad Guzan, who was awarded a point of honor. The FA's red card, which he received on Sunday, was overturned by the FA on March 24, ensuring Friedel's streak of consecutive Premiership appearances would continue. He reached the historic of 250 consecutive league games on January 16, 2011. Following Villa's 3–1 loss to Manchester United on February 1, Friedel became the oldest player to play for Villa.

Friedel's deal with Aston Villa came to an end in the 2010-2011 season. Tottenham Hotspur revealed on June 3, 2011 that they had signed Friedel on a two-year contract. After Tottenham's first home game of the season against Everton on August 22, 2011, Friedel opened in goal against Manchester United against Manchester United. Friedel's streak of games in the Premier League had been extended by this transfer from Aston Villa. Friedel became the first Premier League player to play in the 2011–12 season.

Hugo Lloris, the French national team's goalkeeper and captain, died early in the 2012 summer transfer window, putting further doubt on Friedel's status as Tottenham's first-choice goalkeeper for the 2012–13 season. Friedel boss André Villas-Boas said on September 1, 2012, after an impressive showing by Friedel against Norwich on September 1, 2012, that Friedel will remain the number one. Friedel's streak of 310 consecutive Premier League games came to an end against Aston Villa on October 7, 2012. Friedel, on the other hand, has returned in goal against Chelsea for their next match on October 20, 2012.

Friedel had signed a new deal with Spurs, retaining him at the club until 2014.

Friedel returned to the starting lineup in a league match on November 10, 2013, but Tottenham was unable to stop Tottenham from losing 1–0 to Newcastle United due to Loc Rémy's goal.

Friedel signed a one-year deal with Tottenham Hotspur on June 9, 2014, which will keep him at the club until 2015. In addition, Friedel became a club ambassador, focusing on Tottenham's presence in the United States, which he continues to do so. Friedel revealed on May 14, 2015, that he would not return to work until the end of the 2014–15 season.

International career

Friedel is the fourth-most captained goalkeeper in the United States national team, winning his first international cap against Canada in 1992, a game in which he kept a clean sheet. He was the first-choice goalkeeper for the United States Olympic team in 1992; however, he was unable to beat out Tony Meola as the first-choice keeper for the U.S. team at the 1994 World Cup. His time came, and Friedel made his World Cup debut in 1998, where he conceded one goal after the United States lost to Yugoslavia. The US advanced to the quarter-finals, with a 3–2 victory over Portugal in group play and a 2–0 victory over arch-rival Mexico before losing to Germany (the eventual runners-up). In a World Cup finals tournament since 1974, he became the first keeper to save two penalty kicks during regular play (as opposed to penalty shootouts). During the 2002 World Cup run, fans dubbed "The Human Wall" on his back.

On February 7, 2005, Friedel announced his retirement from international soccer.

Media career

Brad Friedel was a studio pundit for BBC's 2014 World Cup coverage in Brazil on both television and BBC Radio Five Live, and later appeared in Ireland's coverage after returning home. He appeared on BBC's Match of the Day and Setanta Sports during the 2014–15 season.

Management career

Friedel was named the United States under 19s head coach on January 5, 2016. With Tab Ramos and Omid Namazi, he won the 2017 CONCACAF U-20 Championship as assistant coach of the US team.

Friedel was named head coach of the New England Revolution on November 9, 2017, replacing Jay Heaps, who was fired by the club in September 2017.

Friedel was fired by the Revolution on May 9, 2019 after a 12-21-13 career record and a 2-8-2 record to start the 2019 season.

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