Tim Howard was a stalwart at Everton over many years, taking a dressing room leadership role at the Merseyside club after joining them from Manchester United.
It had been a difficult introduction to life in English football for Howard, managing his Tourette syndrome as well as battling to convince as Manchester United’s no.1.
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In truth United had never replaced Peter Schmeichel. Fabien Barthez had come the closest, but he lacked consistency, whilst the keepers after them all had huge mistakes in them.
After huge clangers from Roy Carroll, Ricardo and Howard himself, Sir Alex Ferguson signed Edwin van der Sar, which spelled the end for Howard.
It was at Everton that he was able to show his talent as a goalkeeper as well as put together a level of consistency that fit perfectly in with how David Moyes’ Everton teams were.
Leadership didn’t stop with retirement for Howard
Retirement from football didn’t bring Howard’s eye for leadership to an end, and in his post-playing career he has continued to try and be at the forefront of key issues through his media work.
This was no difference when the Korbin Albert scandal broke, in which the USWNT player made some anti-LGBT comments online, yet retained her place in the US Olympic Squad selected by Emma Hayes.
Howard, whilst initially against this decision, has since changed his mind, citing the example set by Kansas City Chiefs duo Travis Kelce and Patrick Mahomes, who dealt with a similar issue involving teammate Harrison Butker.
In his column for the Daily Mail, the former USMNT goalkeeper explained the reasoning behind his change of opinion.
“Well, my opinion has changed recently – thanks to Travis Kelce and Patrick Mahomes,” Howard wrote in the Daily Mail.
“It caused a stink and it put his Chiefs teammates and coaches in a very difficult position. I thought Butker was out of line and if he was in my locker room, I’d have told him that. I’m still someone who thinks: if I have a stance and it’s the right one and you don’t come around to it, I’ll be disappointed. But Mahomes and Kelce really opened my eyes.
“They are leaders on that team and they argued that we live in a world where not everyone’s going to agree. But we support each other as a family and we try to understand where other people are coming from – even if we don’t see eye-to-eye. That is much more accepting than I would have been.
“But now I see the other side. Now I’m not stupid enough to think that my opinion is the only one that matters. Now I know you have to listen. You have to have conversations.”
