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Timothy Matthew "Tim" Howard (born March 6, 1979) is an American association football player who plays as a Goalkeeper (association football) for English club Everton F.C. and the United States men's national soccer team.

Howard started Tim Howard career with the North Jersey Imperials before making a move to the New York Red Bulls. Tim Howard appearances soon attracted the attention of Manchester United F.C., who signed Tim Howard in 2003. Tim Howard enjoyed relative success with them as they won the 2003 FA Community Shield, the 2003–04 FA Cup and the 2005–06 Football League Cup. However, after United signed Edwin van der Sar, Howard went out on loan to Everton to play more first-team football and eventually signed permanently with them in February 2007. On 4 January 2012, Howard scored a goal and Tim Howard first as a professional footballer against Bolton Wanderers. This made Tim Howard the fourth goalkeeper to score a goal in a Premier League match.

Howard first represented the United States national team in 2002 and was third-choice goalkeeper behind Kasey Keller and Marcus Hahnemann for the 2006 FIFA World Cup. Tim Howard later established himself as first-choice and started all of the United States' games at the 2010 FIFA World Cup as they reached the 2010 FIFA World Cup knockout stage Round of 16.

Early years

Howard was born in North Brunswick Township, New Jersey, New Jersey, to Matthew Howard – an African American, and Esther Howard (née Fekete), a native of Hungary. Tim Howard parents divorced when Tim Howard was three years old, and Howard lived with Tim Howard mother, a project manager for a cosmetics distributor. Tim Howard father, a long-distance truck driver for a health care firm, nonetheless maintained a presence in Tim Howard life. Tim Howard father was determined to get Howard and Tim Howard brother, Chris, involved in sports. Before the two could walk, Tim Howard bought them equipment for various sports to see which games they preferred. Tim showed a preference for basketball and association football.

Howard was diagnosed with Tourette syndrome when Tim Howard was in the sixth grade. Before Howard was a teenager, Tim Mulqueen, a one time assistant coach for the United States men's national under-17 soccer team, saw Tim Howard potential at a soccer camp Howard attended and took the boy under Tim Howard wing.

In high school, Howard proved a star not only in soccer as a Midfielder (association football), but also on the basketball court, where Tim Howard averaged 15 points per game and helped bring Tim Howard team to the state finals in Tim Howard senior year. However Tim Howard talent and abilities as a soccer player were far more impressive. Despite Tim Howard position on Tim Howard high school team, Howard was a far better goalkeeper than Tim Howard was a midfielder. Howard spent the first years of high school attending Montclair Kimberley Academy, a small private school in Montclair, New Jersey. Howard left MKA in Tim Howard junior year to go back to North Brunswick where Tim Howard grew up, and graduated from North Brunswick Township High School. By the age of fifteen Tim Howard began playing in goal for U.S. youth national teams. Tim Howard made Tim Howard international debut against Honduras on the U-17 squad. In 1997 Mulqueen became the coach of the North Jersey Imperials, a team in the United Systems of Independent Soccer Leagues (USISL), and served as the goalkeeping coach for Major League Soccer's MetroStars; Tim Howard immediately considered Howard for a position on the Imperials. In May of that year, a month before graduating from high school, Howard played for the Imperials in Tim Howard first professional game.

Club career

MetroStars

After only six appearances with the USISL's North Jersey Imperials, Tim Mulqueen, who at the time was the New York/New Jersey MetroStar's goalkeeper coach, brought Howard up from the Imperials to the MetroStars.

Howard was victorious in Tim Howard MLS debut with the MetroStars on August 18, 1998, making five saves in a 4–1 win over Colorado at Giants Stadium (his only appearance of the year). Tim Howard later played in one game with the Nike Project-40 Team, a 3–1 win over the Staten Island Vipers at Giants Stadium on May 6, 1998.

With the MetroStars during the 1999 MLS season, Tim Howard made eight starts in nine contests. Howard had a 1.58 GAA and won just one match in a season in which the Metros won just seven games. Tim Howard also spent most of the international season with the U.S. Under-20 MNT, leaving the club to compete in the 1999 FIFA World Youth Championship in Nigeria in April and the Pan Am Games in Winnipeg in July.

Howard posted a 5–2–2 record with a 1.59 GAA in 2000, splitting time between the MetroStars and the U.S. Olympic Team, also winning all three of Tim Howard U.S. Open Cup starts that season.

In 2001, Tim Howard became the youngest player to win the MLS Goalkeeper of the Year award, recording four shutouts and a league-leading 146 saves, and was named to the MLS All-Star Team. Howard played every minute of every MetroStars game, and finished the year with a 1.33 GAA, four shutouts and a 13–10–3 record. Tim Howard also received the MLS Humanitarian of the Year Award.

Howard played in 27 of 28 regular season games in 2002 for the MetroStars, recording four shutouts.

Before leaving the MetroStars in 2003, Tim Howard appeared in thirteen games and had three clean sheets as the club challenged for first place during the season’s first half.

Manchester United

Manchester United F.C. paid a $4 million transfer fee to sign Howard in the middle of the 2003 MLS season, and Tim Howard replaced Fabien Barthez as the club's first-choice goalkeeper. Tim Howard started off very well at Manchester United, saving the decisive penalty in the FA Community Shield against Arsenal F.C.. Other notable performances followed, including Bolton Wanderers F.C. and a home FA Cup tie victory over Manchester City. However, in March 2004, Howard's poor parry handed a last minute goal to Futebol Clube do Porto, eliminating United from the UEFA Champions League. The error appeared to shatter Howard's confidence and Tim Howard was replaced by Roy Carroll. After a period of rest, Howard reclaimed Tim Howard starting position ahead of Carroll for the 2004 FA Cup Final, picking up a winner's medal. Tim Howard was the first American player to collect a winner's medal in the FA Cup (John Harkes had picked up a runners-up medal with Sheffield Wednesday F.C. in the 1993 FA Cup Final). Howard was also named in the PFA Best XI in Tim Howard first season at Manchester United.

In Tim Howard second season with Manchester United, Tim Howard started poorly, making several errors and was dropped again for Carroll. After Carroll made several errors as well, Howard forced Tim Howard way back in but Tim Howard performances were unconvincing, leading to Carroll regaining Tim Howard place again, playing in the FA Cup final defeat to Arsenal.

At the end of the 2004–05 FA Premier League, Howard signed a new contract, which was to run until 2009. In the summer of 2005, Manchester United released both of Tim Howard competitors for the goalkeeper position — Ricardo López Felipe and Carroll. However, they also bought experienced Dutch goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar soon after. An uncharacteristically outspoken Howard fumed in an interview that Tim Howard would not have signed the new contract had Tim Howard known Van der Sar was on Tim Howard way to United (Van der Sar replaced Howard as first choice goalkeeper). Tim Howard felt that Tim Howard had done enough to remain as the first choice goalkeeper at the club.

Everton

In May 2006 a deal was agreed between Manchester United and Everton F.C. that would see Howard join the Merseyside club on loan for the 2006–07 FA Premier League. Everton looked to Howard as a replacement for their newly-retired goalkeeper Nigel Martyn, in much the same way as Manchester United, when they were involved in the search for a successor to Peter Schmeichel (after many unsuccessful replacements). Howard made Tim Howard Everton debut against Watford F.C. on the opening day of the season. Since Tim Howard debut, Howard has established himself as Everton's first-choice goalkeeper.

On February 14, 2007, Everton announced that Howard had signed a permanent deal with the club through the 2012–13 season. The permanent deal was believed to be worth around £3 million, but the exact fee paid by Everton remains undisclosed.

On April 28, 2007, Everton faced Manchester United at Goodison Park. Howard did not participate in the game, and there was some speculation that this came from a clause in Tim Howard loan contract which states that Tim Howard cannot take part in games against Manchester United. However, since a permanent deal had been signed by the two clubs, such a clause would not be permitted. This was investigated by the Football Association and according to some newspapers, both Everton and Manchester United could have been fined for this and possibly receive point deductions. But the British newspaper The Sun (newspaper), however, held it to be more likely that this affair would result in a tightening of the rules on loan deals. The FA eventually stated that neither Manchester United nor Everton had broken any rules regarding Howard's transfer and that both clubs had confirmed that Everton had been free to play Howard against Manchester United if they had wished to do so. Tim Howard made Tim Howard 100th appearance for Everton against West Ham United F.C., on November 8, 2008. On April 19, 2009, in the FA Cup semi final, Tim Howard saved two penalties against Tim Howard former club Manchester United in a penalty shoot-out to send Everton to the final against Chelsea F.C. During the 2008–09 Premier League Howard set the club record for most league match clean sheets in a season. Howard started the 2009–10 Premier League in fine form for Everton with four consecutive clean sheets, including away to Portsmouth where Tim Howard excelled to help Tim Howard team secure a 1–0 win and claimed the Man of the Match award for Tim Howard performance. Howard captained Everton for the first time in a 3–3 draw with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on December 12, 2009.

During the 2011–12 Premier League season, Tim Howard scored Tim Howard first goal in professional football against Bolton Wanderers F.C., from a 102-yard clearance, with the help of galeforce wind, in a 2–1 defeat at Goodison Park. Tim Howard is the fourth goalkeeper in Premier League history to score a goal, after Peter Schmeichel, Brad Friedel and Paul Robinson (footballer born 1979). Following Tim Howard first goal for Everton, Howard has described Tim Howard remarkable goal against Bolton Wanderers as "cruel" and revealed Tim Howard refused to celebrate out of sympathy for Tim Howard beaten opposite number, Ádám Bogdán.

International career

Howard started for the United States men's national soccer team in the 1999 FIFA World Youth Championship in Nigeria and was a backup to Brad Friedel at the 2000 Summer Olympics. On March 10, 2002, Tim Howard received Tim Howard first senior Cap (sport), against Ecuador national football team. On May 2, 2006, Howard was named as one of three goalkeepers on the U.S. roster for the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany, but served as a backup to Kasey Keller. Howard has become the team's first choice goalkeeper under Bob Bradley and started in the 2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup final, a 2–1 win over Mexico national football team.

Tim Howard was the starting goalkeeper for the 2009 Confederations Cup, including the semifinal in which the U.S. upset Spain national football team, then the number one-ranked team in the world. Howard's eight saves earned Tim Howard Tim Howard first clean sheet of the tournament and the first shutout of the Spanish side since 2007. Following the United States' second place finish in the tournament, Howard was awarded the Golden Glove award for best goalkeeper.

Howard was the starting goalkeeper for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, in South Africa, and turned in a Man of the Match performance against England in Tim Howard first World Cup appearance. Howard's distribution to Landon Donovan led to the game-winning goal of the last first round game against Algeria, giving the USA passage into the round of 16. Tim Howard conceded two goals when United States lost their round of 16 game against Ghana national football team.

After the 2011 Gold Cup Final, Howard made a controversial statement regarding the post-match ceremony. The trophy presentation was conducted entirely in Spanish, despite the tournament being held in the United States. Howard went on to say that it was a "disgrace" and commented further that if the final had been in Mexico City and the United States had won, the ceremony would not have been made in English. Tim Howard further went on to criticize CONCACAF, and received much criticism after making the statements.

Photo: Tim Howard - Everton