Everton star Tim Howard has implored more young Americans to take up goalkeeping in order to strengthen the future of the sport in his country.
The USA has a history of quality keepers in the Premier League with Howard himself joined by Aston Villa's Brad Guzan, Tottenham's Brad Friedel and former Millwall and Spurs gloveman Kasey Keller in enjoying fruitful careers in England.
Howard, who has been a star for the Toffees since his 2007 move from Manchester United, suggests America's more popular sports allow children to grow up with the skills required to be a top keeper and has urged them to get involved with the world game.
"Most American sports rely on strong hand-eye coordination, and the history of the Premier League says you need to have size, explosive ability, and obviously good hands," he said.
"So, the attributes required to be a top level Premier League goalkeeper are the same ones required to be the prototypical American athlete. We've found some sort of a niche.
"I'm getting old now, and we need more guys to come through.
"You've got Brad Guzan at Aston Villa, but he's only five years younger than me so we could do with producing more goalkeepers like Kasey Keller and Brad Friedel to keep that legacy going."
