[AMERICANS ABROAD] Released by Aston Villa in May, Brad Guzan is set to return to the English Premier League club, according to its new manager, Paul Lambert.

Guzan made only eight league appearances in four seasons, playing behind first Brad Friedel and then Shay Given, but Lambert seems set to give Guzan a shot at winning the job from Given, the Irish national team keeper.

"It's near," Lambert told the Birmingham Mail. "I've watched Brad and some of his games when he was in the team last year and he was excellent. I know he's always had that stigma of being the No. 2 behind some really good goalkeepers here. But when you come back at the start of the season, nobody knows what's going to happen and it depends on whoever does well. Brad played very well the time he was in and maybe he found himself a bit unlucky to be back out."