Keller's Competition

The English writer Aldous Huxley once wrote about a Brave New World. That is what faced Kasey Keller way back in 1991 when he first landed on English shores. Well over a decade later, and with a host of European clubs on his CV, Keller is back in the city where it all began…

Kasey Keller gives the aura of a very determined man when he speaks about his move to Fulham (“I’m not here just to train”), but underlying it all is a very relaxed character, rightly full of pride for the achievements to date in his career.

People speak of groundbreaking players exploring new horizons and opening new doors; for example David Beckham moving to LA, but what about the story of Kasey Keller?

When he moved to England in 1991 not only did he go on to establish himself as a top Premier League goalkeeper, but arguably more significantly, he paved the way for many other American soccer players, proving that the European leagues were accessible for those with the talent and drive to succeed.

Following the expiration of his contract at Borussia Monchengladbach, the 37-year-old stopper had more offers than ever before, but he was not going to be rushed into signing the first deal put in front of him. Everything had to be right in football terms and away from the field. “At my age you know things are only coming on a year’s contract so if I was going to be pulling the kids to another school then it had to be right,” he explains. “I didn’t want to just sign a contract for the sake of playing; it had to be something that all my family were comfortable with. I’d turned down a lot of offers. I was waiting for one that felt right but it got to the stage where I honestly thought that I was going to retire. Then the offer came from Fulham and I thought ‘Ok let’s give it a year’.”

And within days of signing Kasey was making his Whites debut, coincidentally against one of his former managers as Fulham took on Aston Villa. “It was a little bit of a surprise,” he recalls. “I was glad that I was able to have a good solid game when I stepped in and didn’t hurt the team and embarrass myself. It was a shame that we conceded late as that would have been a very good point and pleasing for me playing against my old manager.”

When asked about Martin O’Neill and his time at Leicester City, Kasey speaks with fondness about a time in his career which saw a team always tipped for relegation punch well above their weight. “I have nothing but good memories of my time at Leicester and of Martin as a manager,” he says. “Having just been promoted we were supposed to be relegated by Christmas, but we finished eighth in the League and won the League Cup. There wasn’t a sophomore slump either the following season as we finished ninth.

“I had three seasons at Leicester with three top 10 finishes and two cup finals. Martin set up a team where we knew what our strengths were but also our weaknesses, but we played to our strengths and captilised on them.”

After leaving England, Keller had spells in Spain and Germany, both exciting periods in his career. “After my first 16 games at Rayo Vallecano we were top of La Liga and were one point ahead of Barcelona! The following season we got to the quarter-finals of the Uefa Cup. I had a very good time in Spain. But it was Germany that surprised me, not for the style of play so much but the fanaticism of the fans. “

However, despite his experiences elsewhere, Kasey is sure that he is now returning to the best League in the world.

“I remember my first year in Spain and three out of the four semi-finalists in the Champions League were from Spain,” he recalls.

“At that time Spain was stepping up but since then England has tried to take that away from the Italians and the Spanish. And within those three leagues you have such good clubs and can add to that Bayern Munich from Germany. You are always going to have ‘golden times’ in those leagues and I feel at this moment it is England’s time.”

So, now back in the Premier League, one might expect Keller to be happy simply to have secured another year in Europe’s top division, but he is not just here for the ride; the determination that so defines a player who has been selected for four US World Cup squads is still very much present in his character. “I see myself challenging Antti and Tony for everything they have,” insists Kasey.

“I told Lawrie before signing that I am used to playing and I will do everything I can to make sure I’m on the field. Unfortunately with the position of goalkeeper there is only one of you on the field. You don’t want to ever wish ill for your team so that you can get a chance, but at the same time I want to play. I didn’t come here just to be happy to train so I’m going to do whatever I can to prove that I’m the guy who should be chosen in goal. But, at the same time if it doesn’t work out, or if I have to be patient and wait for my opportunity then I will be extremely supportive of the team and do whatever it takes to help pick up points.”

With such an international flavour in the Premier League these days it is hard to imagine that 15 years ago the majority of players in the English system were British, and the transfer of an American goalkeeper from Portland FC to Millwall was a rarity. It is a source of great pride for Keller that he was something of a trend setter.

“Being one of the first Americans to come over gives you that little bit of extra pride, knowing that you set the stage for other people. Hopefully I broke down a lot of stereotypes for American players which I am pleased about.”

And so it is back in England that Keller finds himself once more, where it all began for him some 16 years ago at the Den. His level of experience might have changed and he may have a few more memories to talk of now, but the same desire and commitment continues to shine through, and it is Fulham, his fourth English club who will be the beneficiaries of these qualities in the 2007/08 campaign.