USMNT GK Ethan Horvath Signs With Nottingham Forest

Horvath, the USA's Nations League final hero, joins Forest after a run with Club Brugge in Belgium.

One of the U.S. men's national team's Concacaf Nations League final heroes has a new club.

Goalkeeper Ethan Horvath is a free agent no more, having signed a three-year contract with Nottingham Forest in England's second tier after spending over four years with Club Brugge in Belgium. It was Horvath who entered for an injured Zack Steffen in the second half of the Nations League title match vs. Mexico and saved Andres Guardado's last-gasp penalty to preserve the U.S.'s extra-time victory over El Tri in Denver, right near where Horvath was raised.

"We are delighted to be signing somebody of Ethan's caliber," Forest manager Chris Hughton said in a team statement. "He has plenty of valuable experience in Europe with clubs of good pedigree and in European competition.

"He will give us valuable competition in the goalkeeping department and we look forward to working with Ethan."

In order to become Forest's starter, Horvath will have to unseat Brice Samba, who has been the club's No. 1 for the last two seasons. Horvath has done his fair share of backing up, spending time behind Belgian international Simon Mignolet at Brugge the last two seasons. In that time, Horvath made just four league starts, two domestic cup starts and one Champions League start.

Should the 26-year-old Horvath win the top job at Forest and perform well, it could give him a leg up in the competition for the U.S. No. 1 job, with Steffen behind Ederson and limited largely to domestic cup play for Manchester City.

Forest, whose glory days were in the 1970s and 80s, has not been in England's top flight since 1999. It finished 17th in the 24-team Championship last season. Horvath will be the first American at the club since defender Eric Lichaj, who spent 2013-18 at The City Ground.