Manchester United keeper Tim Howard will join Everton on a 12-month loan deal this summer.
The 26-year-old, recently named in the United States’ World Cup squad, has been squeezed out of the first-team picture at Old Trafford this season following the arrival of Edwin van der Sar.
Howard was limited to just six senior appearances, with his only Premiership outing coming against Portsmouth in February.
After arriving from Major League Soccer outfit New York Metrostars in 2003, Howard initially appeared to be the answer to United’s long-standing goalkeeping problems.
However, high-profile blunders in European games at the end of his first season with the club and the start of his second put the US star’s place at risk.
Despite those problems, and his recent omission, Alex Ferguson remains a big admirer of a player who has played 77 times for the Red Devils.
With Van der Sar’s contract due to expire in 12 months’ time, the United boss has sanctioned a loan move to Goodison Park during which he expects the keeper to prove he is worthy of reclaiming United’s number one jersey.