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Chicago Fire goalkeeper Sean Johnson will be heading to England this winter for a pair of training stints with English Premier League sides Stoke City and Everton, the Fire announced on Wednesday.
Johnson, 23, is coming off his best pro season to date. He posted a career-best 1.24 goals-against average, with five shutouts. He showed impressive fortitude and maturity by overcoming the painful disappointment of his role in the U.S. Under-23 national team’s failure to qualify for the Olympics.
“Sean continues to improve and this season he demonstrated why he is one of the top goalkeepers in the country,“ said Fire head coach Frank Klopas. “These opportunities allow for our players to gain additional training and experience at a top level during the MLS offseason.”
Johnson will stay with Stoke from Dec. 5th to Dec. 9th before joining U.S. national team goalkeeper Tim Howard and U.S. goalkeeper coach Chris Woods at Everton from Dec. 10th to Dec. 23rd. The stint with Everton will be the second Johnson has had with the Liverpool-based club.