

Brad Friedel, in the twilight of a remarkable career. (Tottenham Hotspur photo)

At 43 1/2 years old, American goalkeeper Brad Friedel is the oldest active player in England’s Premier League. He says he feels great, although, he joked, the scarcity of assignments with Tottenham Hotspur this season probably has something to do with it.

To appreciate his longevity, consider this: incoming Spur DeAndre Yedlin was 1 when Friedel’s career began to take off.

With the announcement this past week that he signed a five-year deal to serve as a Fox Sports soccer analyst, retirement is not far off. Friedel is under contract through the end of the season in May, when, in all likelihood, he will remove his boots for the final time. He has appeared on the game-day roster seven times across all competitions this fall but has yet to play.

Friedel’s portfolio is one of the finest in U.S. soccer history: three World Cup squads, one Olympics, 82 caps and almost 700 club appearances for Galatasaray, Columbus Crew, Liverpool, Blackburn, Aston Villa and Spurs.

He plans to move to Los Angeles with his wife and three children this summer and begin TV work on a full-time basis.

On Saturday, from the team hotel in Swansea where Tottenham was readying for Sunday’s match, Friedel spoke with the Insider via phone.

He did not want to comment further about a passage in fellow EPL keeper Tim Howard‘s book claiming Friedel tried to block Howard’s move to Manchester United from MLS in 2003. [Friedel’s reaction last week] Reading between the lines (no pun intended), it would seem the issue is now in the hands of lawyers.

Where do things stand for you?

“I’ve got a five-year contract with Fox. I am going to finish my pro coaching license; I’ve got about another 17 months. The license will help with the analytical side of doing television. It’s something I have always wanted to complete. I am very excited to join the Fox team. They have got a lot of content with the Champions League, Europa League and FA Cup, the MLS, the World Cup and the Women’s World Cup. So it’s a good chance for myself to get my family back to the States and a good opportunity to have my ship in one city.”

When will you begin on-air work?

“It will depend on the dates, but when the season is over, I will be moving to L.A. Until then, it will be as I am available and conflicts with fixture dates.”

Do you want to continue as an active player, or is the TV contract signaling retirement?

“It is safe to say I am very okay with the prospect of not playing anymore.” [laughing]

When you reflect on your experiences and travels over the last 20-plus years, what strikes you?

“You can always think things, but when you actually say them in the public domain, that is when you really know if you are doing the right thing or not. I am doing the right thing” by moving into TV.

In terms of playing memories …

“One of the most remarkable things — and this isn’t just for me, but for players my age and a couple years younger — most of us grew up without a valid professional domestic league. Where soccer is today, players brought into the sport now have such a better chance of making it than any one of us ever did. The league is in a far better place. The federation on a whole is more advanced today than it was in the late ’80s and early ’90s. The popularity of soccer is bigger. The achievement of American players worldwide is better. The avenues to get abroad just were not readily available back then. When I think about being raised in Bay Village, Ohio, and now I am sitting here at age 43 still contracted to a Premier League club, that is what gets to me. I speak about it with my friends sometimes. It’s amazing that is has transpired like this.”

Do you think you have played a part in inspiring Americans to seek opportunity in Europe?

“Absolutely. It began with passported guys like Thomas Dooley and Earnie Stewart. There were goalkeepers in myself, Kasey Keller and Juergen Sommer coming over. Claudio Reyna’s success helped. Tab Ramos in Spain and Peter Vermes in Hungary and Holland. Bruce Murray and John Kerr at Millwall. John Harkes, Roy Wegerle. We all had a big part to play in that. Every minute any of us spent over here helped U.S. soccer. Now you have Tim Howard and Brad Guzan. I hope Stuart Holden can get fit because he has a very good reputation over here. Geoff Cameron is doing well.”

What is your take on players weighing European opportunities, or, in some cases, being encouraged to leave MLS?

“We have a league now that you don’t have to come to Europe to develop your game if you don’t want to. The MLS is like a lot of leagues around the world: There are going to be some well-run clubs and some not-so-well-run clubs. You can’t compare the Premier League to the MLS, but the MLS is in a place now where, if a player has the opportunity to be with a good club and play all the time or play a bit role in Europe, it’s better to be in the MLS. That has not always been the case. So we are making good strides. It’s a long road. It’s not going to be perfect or ideal overnight, but when I go back to the U.S. and see where things are now compared to the first years of the league, it really is night and day.”

I imagine the feedback you receive from players and fans in England about MLS is night and day, as well.

“It is. Ten or 15 years ago, the only people who asked me about the MLS were players at the end of the career: ‘Get me a big-money move to a sunny place. I’ve done all I need to do in my soccer career and now I will go have a little bit of a vacation.’ That was the thinking. It’s still going to attract some players near the end of their career, but you are going to see players come over like Frank Lampard next season. He still has a lot to offer; you can see what he is doing with Man City. He has a lot left. So did Robbie Keane and David Beckham. I get a lot of questions from players over here in their mid-twenties. They are serious about it. It’s a great sign because people are starting to take the league very seriously. Whether they get over is another story. Economics are part of it. But it’s no longer an issue of standard. The best way to put it is: MLS is in the discussion now.”

Did you ever think your career would last this long?

“I always thought I would retire around 35. So I can’t be too upset.”

Do you feel 43?

“No. I am definitely more fit now than when I first started playing. Maybe because I haven’t played many games this calendar year — you get rejuvenated. I have been waiting for that day when I just can’t move anymore, but it’s not here yet.”

Your kids were all born in England?

“Yes. They have dual passports. They have grown up in England, so this move to L.A. is a big one.”

Who will they play for, England or the United States?

“It will be very interesting to see what sports they pick up in the U.S. They are all athletic. My 8-year-old daughter can play soccer; she is pretty good. The 11-year-old daughter runs 100 meters, 200 meters and does long jump, so I assume she will want to carry that on. She plays field hockey and rounders, so she could get into softball. She plays netball, so basketball is possible. There are some differences in the sports in school over here. My boy, he is only 3 1/2, but he is soccer crazy. I’m guessing he will want to play all the time.”

Perhaps not until he’s 43, though.

“Ha, no, perhaps not. He doesn’t have to follow in his dad’s footsteps.”