DENVER — The worst kept secret in Major League Soccer is finally out in the open.
Tim Howard, the longtime U.S. and Everton FC goalkeeper, is officially a member of the Colorado Rapids, the team confirmed Sunday.
He will join the Rapids in July after the conclusion of the English Premier League season.
Howard has been linked with Colorado since January when the Rapids acquired the top slot in the MLS player allocation ranking, which gave the club the first crack at signing the 37-year-old keeper.
The designated player signing was announced on ESPN's SportsCenter Sunday morning — which signals the move's significance — and comes two days after the Rapids announced it had extended its jersey sponsorship deal with Transamerica through 2019.