Everton goalkeeper Tim Howard has urged his country to keep producing goalkeepers and ensure that Aston Villa's Brad Guzan, 30, is not the last off the conveyor belt.
The veteran cited the long line of keepers from the United States, including his predecessors Kasey Keller, Jurgen Sommer and Brad Friedel as testament to the type of athletes the country produces.
"Most American sports rely on strong hand-eye coordination, and the history of the Premier League says you need to have size, explosive ability, and obviously good hands. So, the attributes required to be a top level Premier League goalkeeper are the same ones required to be the prototypical American athlete. We've found some sort of a niche," Howard told Rabona Magazine.
"I'm getting old now, and we need more guys to come through," he said. "You've got Brad Guzan at Aston Villa, but he's only five years younger than me so we could do with producing more goalkeepers like Kasey Keller and Brad Friedel to keep that legacy going."
Sommer was the first to play in England when he signed for Queens Park Rangers, while Keller debuted with Millwall in 1992 and went on to play almost 400 games with Leicester City and Tottenham. Friedel has been playing in England since 1997.
Howard credited long-time friend and mentor Keller for help throughout his career.
"Being in the locker room with him during the 2006 World Cup and big qualification games was huge for me. The biggest thing when I was young was watching how Kasey handled himself in the big moments. It was a learning tool to see how he prepared himself in the moments leading up to a game and then communicated to his teammates. It helped me find my own way as a goalkeeper and a pro."
Howard said the two still stay in touch.
"As I got older and when I moved to England, he was there for me to talk on the phone and text him. We talked almost weekly when I first joined Manchester United and Kasey was at Tottenham at the time. It was nice to have a friend in England at that time -- someone who knew the ins and outs and ups and downs of the Premier League -- and he was able to help me steady the ship a few times."
U.S. fans will not likely forget Howard's 15-save performance vs. Belgium at the 2014 World Cup, especially now as Howard has announced his decision to take a year off from U.S. team play.
"I only realised afterwards that I'd played a big game," Howard said. "We don't have the luxury of keeping track of things during the game. I'm sure when LeBron James scores 50 points in a game he doesn't realise how many points he's amassed until afterwards. I'm sure he feels in the rhythm and the same applied to me in that game against Belgium."
Howard expressed his support for U.S. coach Jurgen Klinsmann.
"I think we got it right choosing Jurgen for the job," he said. "Just as Roberto Martinez has planted seeds at Everton, Jurgen has done the same with the US, and by the time 2018 comes around, the new system will be implanted in us and we won't have to go over so many things."
Howard ruled out any return to Major League Soccer when his career winds down, squelching rumours that he would head to the Red Bulls.
"I don't think I'll return to the States to play. A few years ago that may have been an option, but I think that ship has already sailed."