MONTREAL – Following the trade to acquire midfielder Davy Arnaud, the Montreal Impact announced on Monday the acquisition of 2010 MLS Goalkeeper of the Year Donovan Ricketts from the LA Galaxy, in return for allocation money.
Ricketts, 34-year-old of Jamaican descent, has donned the Galaxy colours for the passed three years, playing in 70 regular season games. He has a record of 35 wins, 15 losses and 18 ties, on top of earning 27 shutouts. He holds the best goals-against-average (GAA) in league history.
The 6’4 goalkeeper has also played in seven playoff games and was part of the Galaxy’s 2011 MLS Cup winning side that blanked the Houston Dynamo 1-0 on November 17. He also helped the Galaxy win the regular season title in 2010 and 2011, as well as the Western Conference championship in 2009.
As Goalkeeper of the Year in MLS in 2010, Ricketts established a team record with a 0.90 GAA and tied a team record with 11 shutouts. In 2009, he was finalist for the Goalkeeper of the Year Award and was named LA’s Defender of the Year. He was selected as an MLS All-star in 2009 and 2010.
“Donovan is one of the best goalkeepers in the league. We are very pleased to have made this acquisition,” said Impact head coach Jesse Marsch. “He will be an important piece to our team in 2012. We value him greatly and know that he will give us experience and quality in front of the net.”
“We are happy to confirm today the arrival of another important player in a key position,” said sporting director Nick De Santis. “From day one, we spoke about having influential players on this team. We feel that it is important to have a first-class goalkeeper with MLS experience. Donovan has played for one of top clubs in MLS. With this acquisition, we are taking another positive step forward in building the foundation of our team.”
Prior to joining the Galaxy, Ricketts played in England, signing a contract with the Bolton Wanderers in 2004, before being loaned to second division side Bradford City. In July later that year, he signed a two year contract with Bradford City, playing a total of 104 games for the club.
On the international scene, Ricketts played in 85 games for the Jamaican National Team, since 1998. He is also vice-captain of the team. He most notably represented his country in 24 FIFA World Cup qualifying matches in 2002, 2006 and 2010. He also participated in the 2009 and 2011 CONCACAF Gold Cups.
DONOVAN RICKETTS
Position: Goalkeeper
Height: 6’4
Weight: 215 lbs
Birth date: July 6, 1977, St-James, Jamaica
Place of residence: St-James, Jamaica
Former club: LA Galaxy (MLS 2011)
Acquired: November 28, 2011
