Tim Howard

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Personal information
Tim Howard
Full name	Timothy Matthew Howard
Date of birth	June 3 1979 (age 30)
Place of birth	North Brunswick, NJ, USA
Height	6'3" (191cm)
Position	Goalkeeper
Club information
Current club	Everton (on loan from Manchester United)
Number	24
Professional clubs*
Years	Club	Apps (goals)
1997 1998 - 2003 2003 - 2006 2006 -	North Jersey Imperials MetroStars Manchester United Everton (loan)	? (0) 85 (0) 45 (0) 10 (0)
National team**
2002 -	United States	16 (0)
* Professional club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 26 August 2006. ** National team caps and goals correct as of 17 June 2006.

For other persons named Tim Howard, see Tim Howard (disambiguation).

Timothy Matthew Howard (born June 3, 1979, in North Brunswick, New Jersey, United States) is a soccer (football) goalkeeper, the first American to play for Manchester United's first team. He will play the 2006-07 season on loan at Everton.

Tim is the son of an African-American father and a Hungarian mother who emigrated to the United States after the 1956 revolution. He grew up poor in New Jersey.

1 Club career
2 International career
3 Humanitarian
4 External links

[edit] Club career

Howard started his pro career immediately after high school, playing with the North Jersey Imperials of the USISL. He was signed by Major League Soccer in 1998 and was assigned to the MetroStars, for whom he played until 2003. Tim backed up first Tony Meola and then Mike Ammann, but became the starting goalkeeper as the latter was traded before the 2001 season. Tim was named MLS's Goalkeeper of the Year in 2001 and to the league's Best XI in 2001 and 2002.

Manchester United signed Howard in the middle of the 2003 MLS season, and he replaced French international Fabien Barthez as the club's first-choice goalkeeper. He started off very well at Manchester United, saving the decisive penalty in the Community Shield against Arsenal. However, later in the season Howard suffered from loss of form, starting with the blunder that handed a goal to FC Porto, eliminating United from the UEFA Champions League. After a period of rest, Howard reclaimed his starting position ahead of Roy Carroll for the 2004 FA Cup Final, picking up a winner's medal. He was the first American to do so. Howard was also named in the PFA Best XI in his first season at Manchester United, making him the only United player in the team. In his second year with Manchester United, he shared the goalkeeping duties with Carroll, as a number of high-profile errors from both players made it impossible for Sir Alex Ferguson to choose between the two with any consistency.

At the end of the season, Howard signed a new contract, which runs until 2009. In the summer of 2005, Manchester United released both of his competitors for the goalkeeper position - Ricardo and Carroll. However, they also bought experienced Dutch goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar soon after. An uncharacteristically outspoken Howard fumed in an interview that he would not have signed the new contract had he known van der Sar was on his way to United (van der Sar has replaced Howard as first choice keeper).

In May 2006 a deal was agreed between Manchester United and Everton that would see Howard join the Merseyside club on loan for the 2006-07 season. Howard made his Everton debut against Watford on the opening day of the season.

[edit] International career

Howard started for the United States national team in the 1999 World Youth Championship in Nigeria and was a backup to Brad Friedel at the 2000 Summer Olympics. On March 10, 2002, he was received his first senior cap, against Ecuador. Howard has appeared for the US 16 times so far (as of early 2006). On May 2, 2006, Howard was named as one of three goalkeepers on the US roster for the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany.

[edit] Humanitarian

Howard has Tourette's syndrome and was named MLS Humanitarian of the Year in 2001 for his work with children with Tourette's. He is a committed Christian and has been involved with Athletes in Action, a ministry arm of Campus Crusade for Christ.[1]

[edit] External links

[[2]]

Image:Flag of the United States.svg	United States squad - 2006 FIFA World Cup	Image:Flag of the United States.svg
1 Howard \| 2 Albright \| 3 Bocanegra \| 4 Mastroeni \| 5 O'Brien \| 6 Cherundolo \| 7 Lewis \| 8 Dempsey \| 9 Johnson \| 10 Reyna \| 11 Ching \| 12 Berhalter \| 13 Conrad \| 14 Olsen \| 15 Convey \| 16 Wolff \| 17 Beasley \| 18 Keller \| 19 Hahnemann \| 20 McBride \| 21 Donovan \| 22 Onyewu \| 23 Pope \| Coach: Arena

Everton F.C. - Current Squad
1 Wright \| 2 Hibbert \| 3 Naysmith \| 4 Yobo \| 5 Weir \| 6 Arteta \| 7 Van der Meyde \| 8 Johnson \| 9 Beattie \| 10 Davies \| 11 McFadden \| 15 Stubbs \| 16 Lescott \| 17 Cahill \| 18 Neville \| 19 Valente \| 21 Osman \| 22 Vaughan \| 23 Pistone \| 24 Howard \| 26 Carsley \| 28 Anichebe \| 30 Ruddy \| 31 Hughes \| 36 Boyle \| 41 Viðarsson \| Manager: Moyes