Veteran goalkeeper Brad Friedel has announced that he will quit football at the end of the campaign.

The 43-year-old is one of oldest goalkeepers in the Premier League. The longevity of the former American International has surprised many, as goalkeepers usually reach their peak at around 38 and go on to retire a few years later. Friedel has not been a first-team regular at Spurs in the last couple of seasons. He moved to the club during the 2011-12 season and was a first-team regular during the initial years. Since the 2013-14 campaign, however, he has featured in only nine games for all competitions.

The situation seems unlikely to improve with Hugo Lloris at the peak of his powers. Rather than in his career in the MLS, Friedel has decided to hang up his boots straightaway. The English career for the 43-year-old began with Liverpool before he had his best spells with Blackburn Rovers and Aston Villa. He spent eight years with Rovers before moving to Villa in 2008. An American by birth, Friedel has been involved in the MLS only with Columbus Crew for two seasons from 1996 to 1997. The veteran will soon be turning 44 and he feels that it is the right time to retire.

"I'm incredibly proud of what I've achieved in my career. When I first started the journey I never imagined it'd be this long. There really is nothing like it but my 44th birthday is here so I think it is a good time to call it a day. I've had a tremendous time here and met a lot of great people along the way. This is a wonderful football club and I feel honoured to have been a part of it for four years,” said the goalkeeper, who has featured in 82 games for USA.