The American has never started a Premier League game
Brad Guzan is 27 years old, has been in England for nearly 4 years, but has never started a Premier League game. That’s all about to change this weekend as Aston Villa travel to take on Bolton.
With star Shay Given out for a month with a hamstring injury, highly rated 6 ft 4 in American Guzan will be called upon to make not only his first Premier League start, but his second, third, fourth, and probably fifth and sixth as well. Can he steady the inconsistent Aston Villa ship?
From a fantasy footie perspective, the fixtures don’t look too bright in the short term for Aston Villa – at Bolton, and then Liverpool and Arsenal at home, but at 4.4M, if Guzan can prove his worth over the next three matches, and Given suffers some sort of setback in his recovery, the American could be a decent fantasy footie investment. From game week 20 onwards, Aston Villa have quite the schedule: Swansea, Everton, Wolves, and QPR – and three of those four are at home. Will Guzan still be starting after Christmas?
Guzan has plenty of experience but is certainly jumping into the deep end. He played his college soccer for the Cocks at South Carolina in the U.S., dominated for Chivas USA in Major League Soccer from 2005-2008, and has been at Aston Villa since 2008. He went out on loan to the Championship last season and played 16 times for Hull.
Internationally, he’s been Everton’s Tim Howard’s backup at the US Men’s National Team for the last 6 years, and has 19 appearances for his country. Experienced, yes. Ready for Arsenal and Liverpool in the Premier League? We’re about to find out.
Brad Guzan, one of the most talented #2 goalkeepers by all accounts in the Premier League, and one that US fans in particular have been hoping would get his chance on the big stage, has finally arrived. Can he become a star like Friedel, Keller, or Howard, or will he fade into oblivion in 4 weeks time?
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He’s good enough to fill Given’s shoes, and I think, probably become an established Premier league first choice, but he’s never going to do it behind the likes of Friedel and Given. I can’t figure out why he hasn’t plied his trade with other teams as there are suitors for him.
He’s only 27 so he has a good 7-8 yrs ahead of him in the top flight, so I think it’s one of two things. He’s either happy at being a back-up, or he’s trying to learn as much as he can from, let’s face it, probably the two best keepers in the League right now.
I considered Guzan, but I couldn’t say no to Krul at 0.3 more, with a stout Newcastle defense and the following fixtures over the next 3 gameweeks: NOR(a) SWA(h) WBA(h).