Brad Friedel – if you wanna be a record breaker, dedications what you need

November 29, 2008 by Martin Banks
Filed under: Brad Friedel, Player Profiles

With today’s game against Fulham, Brad Friedel overtook David James’s record of consecutive appearances in top-flight (that’s the First Division to the oldies and Premiership to the young guns) games. At present the record is 166 games without missing one, which Friedel equalled with the Man Utd game last week at Villa Park. Now with the Fulham appearance he has surpassed James and become the record holder, a testament to his consistent quality over the last four years, obviously helped by being free from injury.

Brad Friedel, this is your life

Friedel has had an outstanding career and despite being 37, he isn’t showing any signs of drawing it to a close, but it didn’t always look like it would pan out the way it did. Prior to settling as a goalkeeper, he originally fancied himself as a striker and even almost went into basketball instead of football (soccer, as he’d have called it then).

Friedel tried desperately to join an English team through the early to mid-90’s but was three times refused a work permit by our authorities, deals with Nottingham Forest, Newcastle and Sunderland all having to be abandoned. In an odd scenario, he played exclusively for his country for a number of years, before getting a loan deal with Danish side, Brøndby. Here he impressed enough to earn a transfer to Galatasaray in Turkey.

He then moved to Columbus Crew, an MLS side in Ohio, where he spent a very successful year and a half, successful enough to make Liverpool want him. He eventually gained his work permit on appeal, after he’d had his fourth denial. It seems we really didn’t want him in this country!

Things looked very rosy for Friedel, he made it into Liverpool’s first time to make his debut against some team called Aston Villa. But things didn’t run as smoothly as hoped on Merseyside, and he spent most of his three years there on the bench. So in stepped Graeme Souness, who had managed him in Turkey, and signed him for what would turn out to be an eight year spell at Blackburn Rovers. Here his career really took off and he became considered one of the best goalies in the Premier League. He even managed to score a goal for Blackburn, making him only the second keeper to score in the Prem, the other being The Great Dane for none other than Aston Villa.

It seemed that Friedel would end his career at Blackburn until the offer of being part of the Martin O’Neill Revolution came along and he couldn’t resist. His Villa career got off to a flying start, saving a penalty ten minutes into his debut, a friendly away to Reading.

Record breaking

In an interview with the Villa official site, the American has spoken very selflessly:

“It will be a decent achievement but I haven’t thought about it much on a personal level because we compete in a team sport.

“I think we have a duty as players to stay as fit as possible and keep our form as high as we can. I have been fortunate with injuries, touch wood, and when I have got the odd knock it has always seemed to coincide with international breaks. Since I retired from international football, I have managed to rest up between domestic games too.

“Is it nice that I have been able to get a run of games? Yes absolutely. But I hope to have many more games ahead of me.

“I have never appeared in a game hoping to attain an appearance record. I appear because I am under contract to play football and I love football. I want to go out and try and help my team get the three points or advance in cup competitions.

“It really hadn’t entered my mind until recently when the statisticians have said I have a chance to break the record. I always accept individual awards humbly and it would be pleasing to get one. But we are in a team sport. I would be more pleased to get into the Champions League or win a cup competition than pick up an individual honour.

“I think, well I would hope, that every footballer feels the same way.”

Well, your modesty is a good thing but I, for one, am pleased for you, so from all at AstonVillaBlog, workers and readers, CONGRATULATIONS BRADDY BOY!