The Big Interview / Ralph Ellis / 20 November 2008 / Leave a comment

Betfair were fascinated to see that Brad Friedel will equal David James' record of 166 consecutive Premier League appearances when Aston Villa play Manchester United on Saturday night - and even more fascinated by the chance to meet the Aston Villa goalkeeper . . .

Ok Brad, we have to begin by saying those magic words 'if selected', but did you know that you will be in the record books this week?

Well no, to be honest, I've never really been into that sort of stuff. The boot man at Blackburn always kept me abreast of records. When I actually signed here, he called me up and said: 'you can't leave, you are two games short of the record at Blackburn'. I'm not sure how I was supposed to hold up a transfer for two games! I just play for my team mates, the staff and fans, and I know it sounds like a cliché but it is fact.

So over that long a run how often have you played when you shouldn't have done because of injuries?

I don't think I've ever played when I shouldn't, but I have played through pain numerous times. At my age now I play through pain just about every time I go out there anyway - and the next couple of days is even worse! You get little niggles along the way.

A lot of people will say it's easier for you because goalkeepers are over protected these days. We bet goalkeepers don't say that, though.

When I first came over to England back in 1992 if you ventured one millimetre out of your six yard box it was fair game, people could smash you all over the place. Even the referee would say 'well you are outside your six'. As more foreign influences have crept into the game here, then so has a little bit of the culture of the game changed. Outfield players no longer get that first free tackle. They used to. You'd see people in the past could fly through someone, get up and tell the referee: 'that's my first one. You can't book me'. No longer. The same goes for a goalkeeper. It has changed and goalkeepers do definitely get more free kicks when you go for crosses, but it doesn't make the game less physical. When you bang your body on the ground and when you have to go into a player's feet, and things of that nature, that's not protected there. On crosses if somebody challenges the keeper a lot of times the refs blow for fouls. It still doesn't mean the collision didn't occur.

David James holds the all-time record and you've just beaten Frank Lampard's 164. How do you think your and David James achievements would compare with Frank?

I think it's easier as a goalkeeper full stop.

So is he effectively still number one?

You'd put the goalkeepers and the outfield players in different categories. Goalkeepers' injuries are different, and keeping with the same one over the course of the season is more of a norm than keeping with the same 10 outfield players. At some stage generally someone, will be rested no matter how good they are. For Frank Lampard to have played 164 consecutive Premier League games, that's some feat. That means he's looking after himself, he's getting a lot of luck with injuries, it means when he does get his dead legs and knocks on the ankles his body is able to recover quite quickly to go into the next game. It also means he's a mega important player for his club because even with the little injuries or maybe thinking he might need a rest they play him, and that's at one of the best football clubs in the world. The amount of ground he has to cover compared to a goalkeeper too.

Top keepers move around a lot though. We know you'll know your stats.

I'd have to go down and look it up to be certain, but I think it's normally only between one and one and a half kilometres in a game. A midfielder is very intense. I don't think Frank would be like the true out and out runners who play wide, and can do 14 k in a game, but he'll do between nine and 11 on a given day. Goalkeepers have a hard week of training but it is different, more explosive, up and down pliometric work and we are not going to be asked to cover the amount of kilometres.

We bet the type of training has changed during your time in the game. Keepers used to do the same running as the outfield men.

Well we still do the running in pre-season. I've never been averse to it, because I've always been a half decent runner. A lot aren't, but you can't frown on them because you don't need your goalkeeper leading the pack in a cross country

How do you feel about Villa's season so far, and how have you settled in since your transfer from Blackburn?

I've settled in fine, there's a really good group of lads here. It's a big club, and has the makings of a very big club which is the reason I joined. We had a really good win at Arsenal last week which made up for losing to Newcastle and Middlesbrough, and now there's another massive test coming against United.

Did you always think it would take some time because you've effectively got a completely new back five?

Yeah, sometimes you can gel quickly, and sometimes it takes a while. I think we've been gelling more so than not, we are still going to be getting to learn a lot about one another and as each training session and game goes by it gets more comfortable playing with one another.

Do you set yourself short term targets and if so what's the next one?

To be honest we do - very short term because it's always just the next game. It has to be that way, we're not in the luxury position where we can look three, four five games in advance. We are in the position where we have to focus completely on the next game in front. We did that at The Emirates which was a monumental task, and we'll do the same against Manchester United this week.

Tell us about Brad Guzon.

He's a young American goalkeeper, he works very hard, he's got a real good chance of becoming a Premier League goalkeeper. He's played twice so far, lost against QPR but that was absolutely no fault of his, then did really well in Europe in Prague. He's a very good prospect. I think he's 24-years-old and in goalkeeping terms that's a baby.

Does having your experience as another American help him any more?

I don't know if that helps too much that I'm another American, but I do try to help him as much as possible. It's inevitable that one day I'm not going to be able to play the game any more, and inevitable that one day even if I can play I'm not going to be able to play in the Premier League. That's just the way the gods work with our bodies. He has a tremendous chance to step in. When that will be - well I'll work hard every game to stop it off and he'll work hard to make it happen sooner.

We remember when you first came over wondering why Liverpool were trying to go to America to sign a goalkeeper. We know now - but there seem to be lots more coming. What is it with Americans and goalkeepers as opposed to other positions?

The athleticism factor is one reason. We grow up playing basketball, Football and baseball which is all catching and throwing. It's more natural to us. What I will say is that as goalkeepers we don't evolve completely until we get over here. Now it's easier because of the MLS, but when I was growing up there was no league so although we were good athletes we were very raw keepers - and even the ones that come now are very raw. They need to be taught a lot to be able to cope with things. The good thing is they are generally fast learners and honest hard working people. But you're right, there's a lot that have made a name for themselves.

We know you're trying to help more American kids get into the game. Tell us about your Academy and how's it going?

It's going very well - we're at the stage of making two more mergers with the local communities which is what we want. We don't want to be elitist, we want to try to change the way talent is developed.

That's the idea because American sport is elitist and most kids have to pay to go to academies. You're trying to be open to anybody who's good enough.

Absolutely, we are in discussions as we speak to get involved in real grass roots elements. In the Cleveland area we're going to get in front of about 65,000 kids. We want to ultimately change the way the entire youth soccer movement in the United States is developed and coached and taught. We want to professionalise the way it is taught. We've opened our doors, we've shown people what we can do and what we have, and now let's really start going

It's obviously a very personal crusade for you.

There's a few of us involved, but ultimately it is my crusade. The way youth soccer has developed in America is a broken system, no two ways about it, and I don't care saying it. If somebody wants to get upset and give me a call and tell me how it is not broken then I will talk to them until I am blue in the face about how it is, because I have seen how it should work

Well we'll wish you luck and say thanks for your time - and we've a free £50 charity bet for you.

Well my academy is a registered charity and there are more details on www.premiersocceracademies.com. As for the bet I'll put it on Cleveland Browns to beat Houston on Sunday at [1.65]. It's odds on but it should be a winner - and incidentally I was a Browns fan long before I signed here. It was just a coincidence that their owner Randy Lerner is also in charge at Villa Park.