Villa keeper makes 200th consecutive Premier League appearance

Aston Villa keeper Brad Friedel extended his record of consecutive league appearances as he made his 200th start in a row in Villa's 1-1 draw with Everton at Goodison Park on Saturday.

The American, who has not missed a league game in five years, started the unbelievable sequence of matches on August 14, 2004.

At the time he was keeping goal for Blackburn Rovers and following the 1-1 draw with West Bromwich Albion wouldn't have believed that he'd go the next four and a bit seasons without missing a game.

It's testament to the fitness of the 38-year-old that he has achieved such a feat but, as Villa manager Martin O'Neill admitted, there is also a bit of luck involved.

Friedel was harshly sent off at Anfield last season and was set to miss the game against Manchester United the following week through suspension but Villa had the red card rescinded on appeal and Friedel was allowed to play

Former Villa keeper David James, now at Portsmouth, held the record previously but Friedel passed his record of 167 continuous games played in the League on November 30 last year.

There is no sign of him stopping there either, Friedel is in the second season of a three-year deal at Villa Park and is set for game 201 against West Ham on Wednesday night.

Born in Ohio, Friedel began his career playing college football at the University of California, Los Angeles but he left early to pursue a professional career.

For a time, having twice been denied a British work permit when trying to join Nottingham Forest and Newcastle, he signed a contract with the United States Soccer Federation to play exclusively for the USA national team as he attempted to find a club.

He eventually got a loan move to Brondby before trying, and failing again, to secure a British work permit, this time to play for Sunderland.

Following the 1994 World Cup he signed for Turkish side Galatasaray who at the time were under the tutelage of Graeme Souness, a manager who would later re-sign Friedel for Blackburn.

After a season at Galatasaray he returned to his homeland to join Columbus Crew as a back-up goalkeeper but by the end of the season he had become a first-team regular.

It was this improvement in form that prompted Liverpool to play $1.7m for him in 1997 but again he would be rejected a British work permit only to be finally granted one on appeal.

Ironically he would eventually make his English Premier League debut against Aston Villa in February 1998.

Despite starting his career at Anfield well, he would soon slip down the pecking order behind new arrival Sander Westerveld and although he was at the club for three years he amassed just 25 appearances.

It was in November 2000 that Souness moved for him again and Friedel joined Blackburn on a free transfer and was granted a work permit at the first time of asking.

He would go on to become one of the most consistent goalkeepers in the Premier League in his 287 games at Ewood Park over the next eight years.

He soon became known for his heroic displays against the 'bigger' clubs, particularly Manchester United and Arsenal, where Rovers would be under a barrage of pressure only for Friedel to pull off a string of magnificent saves to allow them to salvage something from the game, or sometimes go on to nick it.

At the end of the 2002-03 season he was named in the Premier League team of the season having picked up 15 clean sheets and was also the top-scoring Fantasy League keeper that season with 27 points, though his personal best tally would come three years later when he scored 28.

Bizarrely his worst season came in 2003-04 when despite him becoming only the second goalkeeper to score a goal from open play in the Premier League, in a 3-2 win over Charlton, he managed to finish the season on -2 points.

Despite signing a contract extension in February 2008 Friedel would request permission to open talks with Aston Villa in the post season after they made a bid of around £2.5m.

Blackburn accepted and Friedel made the switch to Villa Park and made his debut in the opening game of the 2008-09 season, keeping his consecutive run of games going.

In total he has made 334 Premier League appearances to date, keeping 99 clean sheets and conceding 420 goals for 121 Fantasy League points, with his one goal and three assists.

Who's to say that his 100th clean sheet won't come in his 201st consecutive appearance when Villa travel to Upton Park to take on West Ham on Wednesday night.