by Paul Eddison
THE USA has produced some top-class goalkeepers in recent years – and MK Dons' Cody Cropper aims to be the next one off the production line.
The shot-stopper has been promoted to first choice for the Championship strugglers following David Martin's season-ending fractured hand and that means he's getting valuable first team experience.
At 23, he's still young for a goalie and has got plenty of time to reach the top.
Cropper follows in the footsteps of a host of American keepers who have succeeded in England, with Everton's Tim Howard and Brad Guzan of Aston Villa now the leading duo succeeding Kasey Keller and Brad Friedel.
Unsurprisingly those four have been an inspiration for Cropper, and he admits the athleticism that comes with American sport might be a reason for the relentless production line of keepers from across the pond.
“We've had a good run of keepers and it's true that when you look at Tim Howard, one of his biggest strengths is his athleticism and it was the same with Brad Friedel,” he added.
“That might come from the variety of sports we play here from an early age, which maybe help with the athleticism.
“Although I was always mostly a football player, especially thanks to my dad, I also played basketball, baseball and I swam a lot as well. The swimming, in particular, really helped my upper body strength.
“I look up to those guys who have come over, today with Tim and Brad Guzan, and further back with Brad Friedel and Kasey Keller. They were doing what I wanted to do.
“I've had the chance to train with Tim and Brad (Guzan) and they've been great helping me.”
Cropper got to know Howard and Guzan while training with the US senior squad, but he was away on Under-23 duty at the end of last month.
Unfortunately for the American, the results didn't go his way, with the US losing a two-legged tie to Colombia, seeing their Olympic ambitions disappear in the process, much to the disappointment of Cropper.
“It was very frustrating because it was something I'd really wanted to do,” he said. “There is still the opportunity to go to the Olympics as an over-age player further down the line, but it wasn't meant to be this time. As an age group this was the last step for us, so now all that is left is the senior team.
“I've been to five training camps but not been capped. However, for now my priority has to be on the club and the end of the season.”
Cropper actually arrived in England seven years ago. Dad Joe – a handy player at university level in the States before a broken leg ended his career – lined Cropper up for a move to Tottenham's academy, run at the time by his friend Chris Ramsey (the ex-QPR boss).
From there Cropper quickly got a shot at Ipswich in their youth team, and has gone on to spend three seasons at Southampton, learning his trade behind Fraser Forster and Kelvin Davis.
Now, in his first season in Milton Keynes, it's time to show what he's learned from his English travels, and Cropper – who was sent off late on in his side's 1-1 draw at Preston yesterday – is relishing the opportunity.
He explained: “The move over to the UK came through my dad, who had coached with Chris Ramsey. He was at Tottenham and after I arrived they managed to set me up with Ipswich who didn't have a youth team keeper and had a Spurs keeper on loan.
“Spurs recalled their guy, and Ipswich brought me in for the rest of the season.
“It was a really hard decision to move over at the time because I was still very young but I look back and I have no regrets at all.
“It's got me to where I am now. It's been good to get a run of games at MK Dons, even if it's unfortunate that it had to come after David's injury. But that's part of being a goalkeeper and I just have to take my opportunity.
“Personally it's gone quite well since I got my chance but it's a position where you have to accept the responsibility. As a keeper you have to be a leader in the team, and that's something I've learned from David, as well as Fraser and Kelvin at Southampton.”
