Former Crew keeper Zack Steffen wins Premier League title with Manchester City
MANCHESTER, England (WCMH) — Former Columbus Crew goalkeeper Zack Steffen is now a Premier League champion. Steffen is the first American to ever appear for a Premier League winner.
The Premier League is the highest level of soccer competition in England.
Steffen helped Manchester City win the 2020-21 Premier League title in his second year with the club. The Coatesville, Pennsylvania native played for the Crew from 2016 to 2019.
LONDON, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 22: Zack Steffen of Manchester City punches the ball away from Joe Willock of Arsenal during the Carabao Cup Quarter Final match between Arsenal and Manchester City at Emirates Stadium on December 22, 2020 in London, England. The match will be played without fans, behind closed doors as a Covid-19 precaution. (Photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images) 
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - MARCH 20: Zack Steffen of Manchester City takes a knee in support of the Black Lives Matter movement during The Emirates FA Cup Quarter Final match between Everton v Manchester City at Goodison Park on March 20, 2021 in Liverpool, England. Sporting stadiums around the UK remain under strict restrictions due to the Coronavirus Pandemic as Government social distancing laws prohibit fans inside venues resulting in games being played behind closed doors. (Photo by Peter Powell - Pool/Getty Images) 
CLEVELAND, OH - JUNE 22: Zack Steffen #1 of the USA reacts after making a save during the CONCACAF Gold Cup Group D match against Trinidad and Tobago at FirstEnergy Stadium on June 22, 2019 in Cleveland, Ohio. The USA defeated Trinidad and Tobago 6-0. (Photo by Kirk Irwin/Getty Images) 
LONDON, ENGLAND - APRIL 25: Zack Steffen of Manchester City punches clear from a Tottenham Hotspur corner during the Carabao Cup Final between Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur at Wembley Stadium on April 25, 2021 in London, England. 8,000 fans are due to watch the game at Wembley, the most at an outdoor sporting event in the UK since the coronavirus pandemic started in March, 2020. Each team has been given an allocation of 2,000 with the remaining tickets split between local residents and NHS staff. (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images) 
LONDON, ENGLAND - APRIL 17: Zack Steffen of Manchester City saves from Hakim Ziyech of Chelsea during the Semi Final of the Emirates FA Cup match between Manchester City and Chelsea FC at Wembley Stadium on April 17, 2021 in London, England. Sporting stadiums around the UK remain under strict restrictions due to the Coronavirus Pandemic as Government social distancing laws prohibit fans inside venues resulting in games being played behind closed doors. (Photo by Adam Davy - Pool/Getty Images) 
BELFAST, NORTHERN IRELAND - MARCH 28: Kyle Lafferty of Northern Ireland interacts with Zack Steffen of USA following the International Friendly between Northern Ireland and USA at Windsor Park on March 28, 2021 in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Sporting stadiums around the UK remain under strict restrictions due to the Coronavirus Pandemic as Government social distancing laws prohibit fans inside venues resulting in games being played behind closed doors. (Photo by Charles McQuillan/Getty Images) 
LONDON, ENGLAND - JANUARY 03: Zack Steffen of Manchester City looks on during the Premier League match between Chelsea and Manchester City at Stamford Bridge on January 03, 2021 in London, England. The match will be played without fans, behind closed doors as a Covid-19 precaution. (Photo by Andy Rain - Pool/Getty Images) 
SAN JOSE, CA - FEBRUARY 02: Players of the United States (L-R) Zack Steffen #1, Nick Lima #2, Walker Zimmerman #25 and Wil Trapp #6 celebrate after a win in their international friendly match against Costa Rica at Avaya Stadium on February 2, 2019 in San Jose, California. (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images) 
LONDON, ENGLAND - JANUARY 03: Zack Steffen of Manchester City rolls the ball during the Premier League match between Chelsea and Manchester City at Stamford Bridge on January 03, 2021 in London, England. The match will be played without fans, behind closed doors as a Covid-19 precaution. (Photo by Ian Walton - Pool/Getty Images)
Steffen joined the Crew as a third-string goal keeper and worked his way up to the starting role in 2017. He started all 34 games for Columbus that season and led the Crew to the Eastern Conference finals. He made 32 appearances in 2018 despite missing time due to a knee injury and international duties for the United State Men's National Team.
Steffen played one season in college for the University of Maryland and joined SC Freiburg in Germany after that.
Manchester City won the Premier League in 2019 and that same year put in a bid of $7 million for Steffen, which was accepted by the Crew. He made 13 more appearances in Columbus before leaving for England.