Former Premier League goalkeeper Kasey Keller lived in a 1,000-year-old castle during his time in Germany, but the unique accommodation came with one major drawback.
Unusual living arrangements
Keller, best known in England for his 85 appearances for Tottenham between 2001 and 2005, moved his family into Haus Donk, a historic water castle near Monchengladbach. The property dates back to the Middle Ages and is listed as a protected architectural heritage monument in North Rhine-Westphalia.
“It was initially built by the Franks in 970,” explained Keller, speaking to Express Sport on behalf of Casinostugan.
“We didn't necessarily decide to do it, it was just kind of one of those things. There was an area outside of Dusseldorf where the international school was, where the kids were going to go. We couldn't find the right property and then this property showed up.”
The inconvenience of castle life
Keller admitted he felt he couldn't turn down the opportunity, despite the practical challenges it created.
“It was a little inconvenient, in all honesty,” said the former United States goalkeeper. “We had to drive like 20 minutes to get the kids to school one direction and then drive 30 minutes back the other direction to get to training.”
“The one thing America doesn't have is the history that so many other parts of the world do, like Europe and Asia have. So to kind of live in that part of history for a while was just something we couldn't pass up.”
Career across Europe
Keller joined Borussia Monchengladbach in early 2005 on a free transfer, playing every minute in the second half of the season as they avoided relegation to Germany's second tier.
Earlier in his career, he played over 170 times for Millwall before spending three years at Leicester City. He also turned out for Rayo Vallecano on 51 occasions in Spain.
Reflecting on his travels, Keller said: “London was like home playing for three London clubs, so that was clearly the most comfortable just because it's where I started, where I kept coming back to, so it was easier and easier. Living in Madrid, obviously tremendous. Being able to be in Germany in the west Rhineland area in that build-up to the 2006 World Cup was great. I miss the autobahn every day still.”
“And then being able to come home home. America is so big, home is America, but if it was Texas, Florida, New York, I am still a five to six hour flight away from home. So to be able to come back home to Seattle at the time that I did was pretty special. Leicester, I had a great time. I am a farm boy, so I lived out in County Leicestershire. Multiple times, I had to wait for the fox hunt to go past the road so I could continue onto training. So yeah, I felt right at home in County Leicestershire as well.”
