Tottenham Hotspur Goalkeeper Brad Friedel is a great soundbite, and an even better conversationalist. The 43-year-old is now probably the Spurs third team keeper behind Hugo Lloris and Michele Vorm. His playing time will be sparse for the North London side once the season kicks off.
However, once he plays, he’ll break the record as oldest player in the Premier League. (he already holds that distinction for both Spurs and Aston Villa). As Spurs wrapped up the American portion of their preseason tour, Friedel received a very, and I mean very warm, reception as he stepped off the pitch.
It’s pretty clear that the 43 year old, the oldest player in Aston Villa and Tottenham Hotspur history (once he plays in a game this season he’ll become the oldest player in Premier League history) has a very bright future in broadcasting; if he chooses to go that route. He’s received a lot of praise for his work with the BBC during the World Cup. Likewise for his television analysis with Fox Sports during the Champions League.
“When I can do it, then I do it because I enjoy it, I enjoy analyzing because I also use it in a different way. I use it towards my coaching as well because it’s always good to see other styles of play, other systems, things of that nature,” he said when I asked him about his potential future broadcasting career.
“It’s a chance that you can watch games and not have them come back to you if you like.”
Here’s the audio of the Brad Friedel interview:
And being a veteran of arguably the world’s most popular sports league will only help expand his brand. Whether it be as a media personality, or an instructional role.
“The Premier League is a monster of a marketing vehicle. It’s the best in the world at that,” Friedel (an American, who’s from relatively nearby Lakewood, Ohio) told me Friday in Chicago, Illinois. USA.
“it also boasts the most exciting soccer in the world from the top of the league to the bottom, and the best fan support” said the man who holds the record for the most consecutive starts.
Paul M. Banks owns The Sports Bank.net, an affiliate of Fox Sports and Yahoo! He’s been a guest on news talk shows all across the world. He’s also a special contributor to the Chicago Tribune RedEye edition. Banks has been featured in numerous media outlets including NFL.com, Forbes, Bleacher Report, Deadspin, ESPN, NBC, CBS, the History Channel and more. Follow him on Twitter (@paulmbanks)