Zack Steffen

At 29 years old, Zack Steffen has this physical status:

Club career

Steffen left the Terrapins and signed a professional deal with German club SC Freiburg following his sophomore season with Maryland. He arrived at the club midway through the 2014–15 season and was drafted to SC Freiburg II, the club's reserve team in the fourth-tier Regionalliga Südwest. Steffen was called to the bench twice for Freiburg II but not for the reserves until the following season.

Steffen made his Freiburg debut against 1. FC Saarbrücken kept a clean sheet in a 0–0 draw. On September 26, he won his first game with the side, beating SV Saar 05 Saarbrücken in his fifth appearance with the team. During the 2015-2016 season, Steffen made 14 appearances for Freiburg II, but the club lost to the Oberliga after finishing 15th in the Regionalliga Südwest and was relegated to the Oberliga. Steffen was training with the SC Freiburg team ahead of the 2016–17 season, and reports from Germany indicate he will be Freiburg's third-choice goalkeeper for the forthcoming season, behind suspended starter Alexander Schwolow and Patric Klandt.

Steffen signed with Major League Soccer team Columbus Crew SC on July 22, 2016, as a Discovery Signing. Despite his time with the Union Academy, he had not completed enough training time with Philadelphia to qualify as a Homegrown Player and had never been offered a contract by the Union. After third-string goalie Matt Pacifici's season was ended by concussions, Steffen joined the Crew, but on the depth chart, it was still behind Steve Clark and Brad Stuver. Steffen was released on loan to the Pittsburgh Riverhounds after appearing on the bench for the Crew for a single season. For the remainder of the 2016 season, the loan was arranged on a match-by-match basis. In a 2–1 victory over Bethlehem Steel FC, he made six saves on the day, and he would return to make nine appearances on the year. Steffen was then called to the bench three times for the Crew, but not for the first time.

Steffen was named as the Crew's starting goalkeeper after defeating Stuver and Logan Ketterer to win the job ahead of the 2017 season. In a 1-1 draw against the Chicago Fire, he made his club debut in the season opener by making two saves. He will not relinquish the position, playing all 34 regular season games for the Crew and leading the team to an MLS Cup Playoffs berth after losing out in 2016. He also recorded a career-high seven saves against Orlando City on August 19 and New York City FC on October 22. Steffen "had the game of his life" against Atlanta United in the knockout round of the 2017 MLS Cup Playoffs. He made eight saves in 120 minutes of rule and extra time, then saved two shots during the shoot-out, the Crew advanced 3–1 on penalties. Steffen made 39 appearances on the season when the Crew was eliminated in the conference finals by Toronto FC.

Steffen missed time during the 2018 season due to international commitments as well as a mid-season knee injury, but he did go on to make 32 total appearances on the year. Steffen went from a victory over San Jose Earthquakes on April 28 to a humiliating loss against Atlanta on June 13, the longest in Crew history. He appeared in seven of those nine games, but two of them were suspended while on international service. He was selected to play in the All-Star Game against Italian club Juventus in 2018. He was the first Crew player selected to play in the All-Star Game since Wil Trapp in 2016. Steffen redirected starting goalie Brad Guzan at halftime and made two saves, but Juventus failed to make a stop in the penalty shoot-out as Juventus scored on all five kicks. Steffen recalled his heroics from the previous year, against Washington, D.C. United in the knockout round, saving two kicks in the penalty shoot-out as the Crew advanced. Steffen was named as the 2018 MLS Goalkeeper of the Year after tallying a career-high ten clean sheets on the season and earning a spot on the MLS Best XI.

Steffen had been the subject of a $3.9 million bid from Bristol City, but the Crew turned down the bid, saying that replacing Steffen mid-season "would have been difficult if not impossible." Following the season, the Crew accepted a £7 million bid from fellow English club and defending Premier League champions Manchester City. Steffen will remain in Columbus through the start of the summer transfer window in Major League Soccer, as per the agreement. In his last half-season with the Crew, he appeared 13 times, including his last game against New York City FC on June 1, 2019. Steffen left Columbus with 26 clean sheets from 84 appearances.

On July 9, 2019, Steffen signed for Manchester City, an English club. The transfer, which was estimated at $7 million, was agreed by the two clubs on December 11, 2018. Steffen stayed with Columbus until the start of the summer transfer window in Major League Soccer, before heading abroad. Crew SC said the exact fee was not disclosed, but it was "the most money paid to a goalkeeper by an MLS club ever paid."

Steffen will be sent on loan to Fortuna Düsseldorf in the Bundesliga for the 2019-20 season, according to the company on July 9, 2019. When discussing that Steffen had been scouting the player since he served at TSG 1899 Hoffenheim, Düsseldorf sport director Lutz Pfannenstiel said he was the "ideal example of a modern goalkeeper."

Steffen's talents were praised throughout the first half of the season, and his appearances for Düsseldorf were described as "outstanding." Steffen started the club's first 17 games, but suffered from a patellar tendon injury that kept him out of action during the Bundesliga winter break and the COVID-19 pandemic suspension. Steffen suffered another knee injury that prematurely ended his season, despite getting back to fitness and recovering from his injury. Before his injury, Steffen had the second highest number of saves behind the third worst defense in the league, and it was expected that if not for his injury, he may have avoided relegation.

Steffen and Düsseldorf were discussing extending their loan with the club for another season, but Düsseldorf's relegation ended this possibility.

Steffen re-engaged from his loan period after City's second choice goalkeeper Claudio Bravo's contract came to an end, and he was named in the team's first squad for the forthcoming 2020–21 season. Steffen was called into the City squad for the first time in the season's opener against Wolves, and he made his debut against Bournemouth in the League Cup third round, beating 21-0 at Etihad Stadium. Steffen made his UEFA Champions League debut against Olympique de Marseille on December 9, 2020, the team's last game, keeping a clean sheet in a 3–0 victory.

In a 3–1 away win over Chelsea, Steffen made his Premier League debut, replacing Ederson, who had tested positive for COVID-19. In a 3–0 home victory over Birmingham City, he made his debut in the third round of the FA Cup a week later, retaining a clean sheet.

In the EFL Cup final victory over Tottenham Hotspur on April 25, 2021, Steffen kept a clean sheet for the City. He was just the fifth American and fourth goalkeeper to win the League/EFL Cup.

Steffen agreed to a new long-term deal with City on November 4, 2021, extending his stay at the club until 2025. Steffen played his first league match of the season on October 16, 2021, when City defeated Burnley 2-1 at home. He made his second appearance in the Champions League during his career as City lost 2–1 to RB Leipzig at Red Bull Arena on December 7. Steffen made the FA Cup semi-finals at Wembley against Liverpool on April 16, 2022. He made a high-profile mistake by playing for Sadio Mané to put Liverpool up by a 2–0 lead. Liverpool will defeat 3–2 on the road.

He joined Middlesbrough in an EFL Championship loan from Manchester City on July 19, 2022.

International career

Steffen was the starting goalkeeper for the United States under 20 at the 2015 FIFA U-20 World Cup and the 2015 FIFA U-20 World Cup. In the Round of 16 of the World Cup, Jarlan Barrera's save on a penalty kick sent the United States to a surprise of Colombia on June 10, 2015.

Steffen was given his first call up to the United States national team for a camp based in Puerto Rico on May 16, 2016. Steffen did not make it to camp in January 2018, but he was called back to team against Bosnia and Herzegovina, where he made his debut in January. In a 1–0 win at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, North Carolina, he made his second appearance in a friendly against Paraguay, bringing his first clean sheet in a 1–0 triumph. Steffen saved seven lives against eventual 2018 FIFA World Cup champions France on June 9, 2018, including back-to-back saves against Nabil Fekir and Ousmane Dembélé in Lyon's dying seconds as the United States defeated France 11-01.

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