Great Scott! Brady Scott is still awaiting his pro breakthrough with Cologne, despite being a regular at youth level for the USA?! What gives?!

bundesliga.com has the career lowdown on the young American net-minder…

Brady Scott
Age: 20
Club: Cologne
Position: Goalkeeper
Country: USA (13 U20 caps)

Scott has been playing soccer since the age of six. He started out at Marin FC and Sonoma County Alliance, before joining De Anza Force, enjoying a stint in the US Soccer Development Academy, as well as trials with Vitesse of Holland and England’s West Ham United, before signing for Cologne in July 2017. With Timo Horn and Thomas Kessler for competition, he is yet to make his first-team debut, although he often trains with the senior side. The California native has turned out for the U19s and reserves, though, recording six shut-outs - including one on the opening weekend of the 2019/20 Regionalliga West campaign (Germany’s fourth tier) - in 22 outings.

Scott earned his first US youth team call-up with the U15s. He represented the U16s and won the 2016 Vaclav Jezek title with the U18s, before making the step up to the U19s. The 6’2” custodian was third-choice at the 2017 FIFA U20 World Cup, but made his bow the following year and kept goal throughout his country’s triumphant 2018 CONCACAF U20 Championship campaign, conceding just two goals in six appearances. He also earned a spot in the tournament’s best team and won the Golden Glove for best goalkeeper. Cologne’s rookie stopper, who had to contend with an ankle ligament injury in the early of 2019, is contracted until June 2020.

Brady Scott (l.) was named as the best goalkeeper at the 2018 CONCACAF U20 Championship, while compatriot Alex Mendez, now at Freiburg, won the best player award. - imago/ZUMA Press

Plays bit like: Bernd Leno

Scott juggled playing outfield with goalkeeping until his early teens, the upshot being he is pretty handy with the ball at his feet. Add in his shot-stopping abilities, and you could be looking at America’s version of the former Bayer Leverkusen and current Arsenal custodian, Bernd Leno.

Did you know?

If Scott wasn’t a goalkeeper, he’d no doubt be earning his keep on some other sporting stage. He was a handy basketball and tennis player in his youth; his mum, Terri, played volleyball for California Bears and professionally with Racing Club in Paris, France; while older sister, Riley, was an All-American swimmer at the University of Southern California.

An outstanding athlete with exceptional reflexes, Scott has made quite an impression on the powers-that-be at Cologne. - imago images / Eduard Bopp

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What they’re saying

“Brady’s development hasn’t surprised us. He lives for his job, and has learned German in such a short space of time. For him, there’s only one way, and that way is up.” - Scott’s agent, Oliver Fischer

“With Timo Horn, Thomas Kessler, Jan-Christoph Bartels and Brady Scott, we’ve got four top goalkeepers at Cologne.” - Cologne goalkeeping coach, Andreas Menger

About the clubs

1. FC Köln

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