Kasey Keller

Kasey C. Keller (born November 29, 1969) is an American former professional soccer player who played in Europe and the United States, as well as being the starting goalkeeper for the U.S. national team.

He is a four-time FIFA World Cup participant and was the first American goalkeeper to become a regular in the German Bundesliga, the English Premier League, and the Spanish La Liga.

Keller retired after three seasons with Seattle Sounders FC after they joined Major League Soccer.

As a freshman in 1988, he helped lead the team to the NCAA men's soccer final four.

During the 1989 college off-season, he played for the Portland Timbers of the Western Soccer Alliance.

His outstanding play led to his selection as league MVP that year.

In 10 games, he allowed only four goals, for a 0.38 goals-against-average and eight clean sheets.

In 1989, he split his time between the Portland Timbers and the U.S. U-20 national team, which finished fourth at the 1989 FIFA U-20 World Cup.

Keller once again excelled and was awarded the tournament's Silver Ball as the tournament's second-best player.

After being a member of the U.S. National Team in the 1990 FIFA World Cup, he was signed by the English club Millwall, playing there and becoming a fan favorite between 1992 and 1996.

He earned first team All American as a senior and was the 1991 Adidas Goalkeeper of the Year.

Keller made his Millwall debut on May 2, 1992, and played his last game on May 5, 1996, making 202 overall appearances for The Lions.

Keller was voted Player of The Year 1992–93 by the Lions fans and also picked up the Junior Lions and Disabled Millwall Fans' awards.

When Millwall were relegated to the Second Division, the team transferred Keller to Leicester City for £900,000 on August 15, 1996.

Keller was still studying for a sociology degree by correspondence when he played for Millwall, and wrote a paper on the club's hooligans.

In his first year with Leicester City, Keller played a vital part in the team's success in both a strong league position and winning the 1997 League Cup.

The team reached the final again in 1999; a last minute goal lost them the match.

That summer, he left the club for Spain on a free transfer.

Keller signed with the newly promoted Spanish club Rayo Vallecano for the 1999–2000 season and played there for two years.

In August 2001, Keller returned to England and the Premier League, joining Tottenham Hotspur on a free transfer.

Relegated to backup duty for Neil Sullivan early on, he won the starting spot and played every minute for Spurs in both the 2002–03 and the 2003–04 seasons.

In the 2004–05 Premiership season, Keller fell out of favor at Tottenham, as Paul Robinson became the first-choice keeper.

In November 2004, Kasey was loaned out to Southampton, a Premiership club ravaged by injuries to its goalkeepers, for one month.

On January 15, 2005, Keller joined German Bundesliga side Borussia Mönchengladbach on a free transfer during the Bundesliga's winter break.

He got off to a good start in the Bundesliga, keeping a clean sheet in his first appearance for Borussia.

Keller played every minute in the second half of the season and kept a total of seven clean sheets in that period, playing an important role in saving the club from relegation.

Keller also lived in Haus Donk, a castle in Tönisvorst, near Mönchengladbach.

During the 2006–07 season he was one of the two Bundesliga players to be hobby-columnists for RUND, a German soccer magazine published monthly, reflecting his life in Germany and his Bundesliga career within those lines.

He shared that role with VfB Stuttgart's shot-stopper Timo Hildebrand.

On August 10, 2006, Keller was selected by his teammates to captain club side Borussia Mönchengladbach during the 2006–07 campaign.

He is the second American (after Claudio Reyna) to captain a top-level German club.

In August 2007, Keller returned to the Premier League, signing for Fulham.

The length of Keller's contract and financial details were not disclosed by the club.

He was bought as a backup to goalkeeper Antti Niemi, but nagging injuries to Niemi saw him take over as principal goalkeeper at Fulham.

However, the day before the Premier League match against Derby County in October, Keller injured his arm in training and was on the sidelines until late January.

He returned as a substitute keeper in the 2–1 win over Aston Villa on February 3.

He was the Sounders' color commentator in local television broadcasts from 2012 to 2022, and assistant coach for Newport High School Boys Soccer in Bellevue, Washington.

He also frequently appears on ESPN FC.

Keller was born in Olympia, Washington.

He attended North Thurston High School and played college soccer at the University of Portland under Clive Charles.