Aston Villa Football Club News

• Nickname:The Villains
• Founded:1874
• Manager:Alex McLeish

• Ground:Villa Park
• Capacity:42,584

Guzan keen to push Friedel

02 Apr 2009 - 11:44:52

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Brad Guzan hopes he can displace Brad Friedel as Aston Villa's first-choice goalkeeper.

The 24-year-old American has made only seven starts for Martin O'Neill's side since joining the club last summer, with the last coming in the UEFA Cup win against Slavia Prague almost five months ago.

However, Guzan plans to push compatriot Friedel all the way in an attempt to claim the number one shirt on a regular basis.

He told the Birmingham Mail: "Seeing Brad Friedel and Kasey Keller come over here to England, be successful, and have such a long career inspired me to try and do the same.

"They were among the first Americans to play in this country which was brilliant because the rest of the world never looks at Americans as footballers. What they achieved was phenomenal.

"Brad's had a fantastic career and working with him can only be beneficial to me. But now I'm looking to play more games, to seize opportunities when they come along, and to keep moving forward.

"To play in the UEFA Cup was tremendous. There's a special buzz about European nights and to be part of that was something you never forget.

"I want to get better as a keeper and put Brad under pressure. I want to make it difficult for the manager week in and week out in terms of selection.

"If I can do that I will also be helping the team because it will make Brad better, myself better, and the team better."