The New England Revolution have hired former United States goalkeeper Brad Friedel as their new coach, the MLS club announced on Thursday.
Friedel, 46, replaces Jay Heaps, who was fired in September with the Revolution on their way to missing the playoffs for a second straight season.
New England will be Friedel's first job managing a club after his retirement from playing following the 2014-15 Premier League season with Tottenham Hotspur.
Since then, he has coached the U.S. under-19 team and worked as a television analyst for Fox Sports.
"My staff and I are delighted and honoured to have been hired by the New England Revolution," said Friedel, who will be introduced at a news conference on Monday.
"I can guarantee that we, the staff and players, will give 100 percent commitment to the club and our fans while looking forward to all the challenges ahead.
"We can't wait to get started right away building this club for the 2018 season."
As a player, Friedel won 82 caps for the United States, appearing in three World Cup squads. His only previous MLS experience came in a season and a half with the Columbus Crew in 1996-97, where he was named Goalkeeper of the Year in his second season.
NEWS: #NERevs name Brad Friedel Head Coach
— NewEnglandRevolution (@NERevolution) November 9, 2017
➡️ https://t.co/hn0evfeoAf pic.twitter.com/bMybiovJlz
He then moved to England, where he holds the record for consecutive starts in the Premier League, making 310 over eight years.
Over the course of 17 seasons, he played for Blackburn Rovers, Liverpool, Aston Villa and Tottenham and made 450 Premier League appearances, the most ever by an American.
The Revolution also hired Mike Lapper and Marcelo Neveleff as Friedel's assistants and confirmed the departures of Tom Soehn and Carlos Llamosa.
Soehn took over the Revolution on an interim basis after Heaps' exit and led the club to three wins, a draw and a defeat, but they still finished five points outside the Eastern Conference playoff spots.
Revolution general manager Mike Burns who, along with Revolution president Brian Bilello, made the hiring decision, was teammates with both Friedel and Lapper on the national team in the 1990s.
"While Brad's professional playing pedigree speaks for itself, it is his competitive character and commitment to winning that make me confident his incredible career as a player will translate to success here in New England," Burns said in a statement.
"He demands the best out of himself and his players and has a strong presence both in the locker room and on the sidelines, which is why we believe he is the best choice to lead the Revolution."