Vito Mannone may not be the most famous export to Major League Soccer, but the former Arsenal goalkeeper might be about to eclipse Zlatan Ibrahimovic as the most successful this season.

In comparison to Ibrahimovic’s switch to LA Galaxy and Wayne Rooney joining DC United, Mannone’s loan move from Reading to Minnesota United went largely unnoticed.

But 31-year-old Mannone has enjoyed one of the most successful seasons of his career and it might be about to get even better.

Having helped Minnesota finish fourth in the Western Conference, keeping clean sheets against Ibrahimovic and Rooney in the process, Mannone is preparing for the play-offs in which his team face Ibrahimovic and Galaxy in the early hours of Monday morning, UK time.

And Mannone will also find out next week whether he has won the MLS Goalkeeper of the Year award for which he has been nominated.