Tim Howard wins US Soccer award

Tim Howard's memorable year has been capped by being named the US Soccer Male Athlete of the year for 2014.

Howard beat Kyle Beckerman, Alejandro Bedoya, Clint Dempsey, Fabian Johnson and Jermaine Jones to the award, garnering 64% of the vote.

Howard first won the award in 2008 so in scooping the 2014 honour has become just the fifth player to win the award more than once.

The 35-year-old is following in the footsteps of Marcelo Balboa (1992, 1994), Kasey Keller (1997, 1999 and 2005), Landon Donovan (2003, 2004, 2009, 2010) and Clint Dempsey (2007, 2011, 2012).

The highlight of the year for Howard was of course his display for the USMNT against Belgium at the World Cup, where he made an record 15 saves in the 2-1 extra-time defeat.

The performance made him a global star and even earned him a phone call from the President, though he has recently spoken of being dragged back down to earth once he had reported to pre-season training with Everton.

Speaking to ESPN Sportscenter about his award, Howard said:

"It's an honour. I know the winners on the list who have come before me, so it's special to have my name up there.

The whole ride with the team for about a month and a half [for the World Cup], when we got together for training camp and we flew down to Brazil, we had a really good time and that made 2014 so special to me."