Brad Guzanโs terrific start to the Premier League season has seen him linked with plenty of big teams, including league leaders Arsenal.
However, the U.S. national team โkeeper revealed to Jeff Carlisle that heโs happy to remain with Aston Villa, as he establishes himself as one of the most consistent goalkeepers in the PL.
โAston Villa, theyโve stuck by me, especially the manager, [Paul Lambert],โ Guzan said. โHeโs given me a chance to play consistent football in Europe. Itโs always nice when youโre linked with other teams, but for me, Iโm very happy at Aston Villa.โ
And why wouldnโt he be?
In 2012ย it seemed as though Guzanโs career at Villa and his European adventure couldโve been over, after former manager Alex McLeish decided against offering the former Chivas USA star a new contract and Guzan released by the Midlands outfit. But when McLeish left and Paul Lambert arrived as gaffer, one of the first thingโs he did was hand Guzan a new deal and the rest is history.
(MORE: Report โ Arsenal interested in Brad Guzan)
Guzan, 29, has grabbed his chance with both hands and is pushing USMNT number one Tim Howard all the way for a starting spot with the Yanks. But is he right to turn down a move to some of Englandโs top teams? It all depends, because at Villa heโs the reigning Player of the Year, has confidence and belief in what heโs doing and is loved by the staff, his teammates and the fans. Sometimes all of that is worth much more than a big money move to a team challenging for titles and playing in Europe. No matter how crazy it sounds, for a โkeeper to play on a side struggling near the bottom, sometimes it almost better for his profile and reputation that heโs busy week in, week out, as Guzan has been able to showcase plenty of his talents following Villaโs shaky defensive displays last season.
Plus, if the move to Arsenal did come off, would Guzan be No. 1 over Wojciech Szczฤsny? That could be a gamble for Guzan, as dazzling while playing regular soccer in the PL is the only way he can expect to become Jurgen Klinsmannโs head honcho between now and Brazil 2014. So, he should probably stay at Villa.
For now.
And itโs certainly been a more promising start to this campaign for the Villans, who have been much better at the back. Guzan has impressed with his distribution (grabbing an assist on the game-winner against Manchester City), as well as his shot-stopping, with a man of the match display against Norwich City standing out amongst many other terrific displays. And the Chicago native believes the project Lambert is undertaking โ taking a plethora of young homegrown players and molding them into a unit โ is one he wants to stick around for.
โItโs a club that I think is definitely on the rise,โ Guzan said. โAnd itโs something I want to be a part of.โ
