Since arriving prior to last season, Minnesota United goalkeeper Bobby Shuttleworth’s fiery persona and ultra-competitive streak — combined with the acrobatic saves that often punctuate Loons wins — have made him a fast fan favorite and a consistent bright spot for the team over the last two seasons. But more than that, Shuttleworth’s zealous demeanor has positioned him for success at his position and helped him conquer all of the bumps along the way.
It takes a special personality to be a goalkeeper, to be the one willing to put yourself in front of screaming shots and almost guaranteed full-speed collisions. You might even say having a screw or two loose is a prerequisite. Whatever it is that makes goalkeepers tick, Shuttleworth has it in spades and it has endeared him to fans, coaches and teammates alike in Minnesota.
“What you see is what you get from him,” Goalkeeper Coach John Pascarella said. “He has that effervescent, bubbly, outgoing personality and he is competitive and hyper. All of those things are positive attributes for his position and for our team.
“That fire, that determination and that drive are what sets a guy like Bobby apart,” he added.
Drive and determination have never been issues for Shuttleworth in his 10-year MLS run with MNUFC and New England Revolution. Good thing, too, because if they had been, his career likely never would have gotten off the ground.
Shuttleworth has had to fight for every one of his professional opportunities and then repeatedly prove himself each step of the way in order to make it to where he is today. Unheralded, unproven and undrafted after three standout years at the University of Buffalo, his MLS chance only came after impressing enough in the NPSL to earn a preseason trial in the USL and subsequently playing against, awing and signing with the Revolution. He spent four seasons working his way to the top of New England’s depth chart before starring between the sticks for four years, including an MLS Cup berth in 2014, only to have to again fight for his starting place in 2016. After the trade to Minnesota in 2017, he started as the No. 2 before an injury to John Alvbage gave him the chance to shine again, ending the season second in saves in MLS with a career-high 116 in 33 appearances.
“I know what I am capable of and I am confident in myself,” Shuttleworth said. “There has been a lot of doubt along the way from a lot of different people and for most of my career I have been able to prove them wrong.”
Pascarella said Shuttleworth developed and has long been driven by an “I’ll show you” mindset and an intense desire to prove people wrong, which he uses to push himself to the peak of his powers. For both personal and soccer-related reasons, Shuttleworth felt his time had run out with the Revolution and he welcomed the challenge of proving himself all over again in Minnesota. But even after his stellar first season with MNUFC he had to reclaim his spot in the starting XI after injuries and a bad case of recurring vertigo left him on the outside looking in through the first six games of the 2018 campaign.
“It took me a while to get going in the beginning of the year, but I know what it is like to wait for your chance,” Shuttleworth said. “You have to stay mentally ready and deal with other stressors. I did not put too much stress on myself. I just said keep playing and things will work out the best way that they should for the team.”
Shuttleworth may have felt it took awhile, but his coaches were impressed with how quickly he was able to overcome the health issues that held him back in preseason and said it was just another indicator of his fervent passion and unrelenting dedication.
“He takes his craft seriously, but he enjoys it while he is doing it,” Pascarella said. “It is business, but it is a game and something he enjoys and loves doing. Some people might take their time trying to come back from something like that. He wanted to get back as quickly as he could.”
Since regaining the starting job on April 22, Shuttleworth has run with the opportunity — but that should not come as a surprise. He has started each of the last 20 games for MNUFC, is again among the MLS leaders with 111 saves, set a club single-game record and tied a career-best with nine saves on May 20 against Sporting Kansas City and has garnered four MLS Team of the Week honors.
Of all of the positions on the field, goalkeepers needs to have the thickest skin because no matter what happens in front of them, all eyes are on them when a ball finds the back of the net. Goalkeepers need to be able to shake off adversity and the indomitable Shuttleworth has demonstrated that ability time and time again. That tenacity makes him not only a standout goalkeeper, but also an easy player to root for.
