By RYAN TOLMICH

As it turns out, Tim Howard is nearly as comfortable in the broadcast booth as he is in goal.

After making appearances with the network last season, the U.S. Men’s National Team and Everton goalkeeper has signed a multiyear agreement to provide Premier League coverage for NBC. Howard, who will work up to ten games this season for NBC, expressed his excitement to get back in the booth.

“To say that I am delighted to be a part of the NBC team full-time, that would be an understatement,” Howard said in a conference call with reporters. “I’m thrilled to continue the journey that I started last year.

“I’m looking forward to this season because, as you know, you never know what to expect when the Barclays Premier League opens. I’m excited on a couple of fronts, not only to play, but also to continue to learn, improve and try and master this thing we call television.”

Part of Howard’s education in broadcasting will come through veteran Premier League commentator Arlo White, who worked with Howard throughout his run last season.

“This is the biggest signing of the offseason, of the transfer window,” White said. “It’s terrific. Tim was fantastic to work with last season and just being there alongside him on the journey from the first game we did at Chelsea in October to the end of the season, the progress he made was absolutely excellent. And then, of course, what he achieved at the World Cup, particularly against Belgium was remarkable, so we’re very, very lucky to have Tim on board.”

“I’ve gotten so much constructive criticism from Arlo and (NBC Producer Pierre Moosa). I think that’s part of the learning process,” Howard said of the NBC team. “With Pierre, it was balanced because we would review games and we would talk about what needed to be better and how I could make it better.

“With Arlo, it was more on the job training: getting up in the gantry and seeing how things work and him showing me little pointers of how he does things before the game and within the game. Different phrases to use and not use is certainly key information when you talk about television. The list goes on and on, but the balance I was able to get with both Pierre and Arlo is still very important to me.”

Howard’s commitment to the television side of the game is something that could be a major part of the goalkeeper’s plan for life after the game, as the 35-year-old goalkeeper has found a true challenge in broadcasting.

“I really enjoyed it, and that’s an understatement as well. I got nervous when I was in the games,” Howard said. “I was wanting to learn all the time and I was trying to absorb as much information as I could. That spoke volumes to me because there weren’t a lot of things that I have felt that passionate about.

“It’s still in its infancy but, yes, certainly where I am in the moment. If I could do this after I’m done playing, certainly that would be something I’d enjoy.”

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