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Tim Howard has been in outstanding form at Everton

Everton have signed on-loan keeper Tim Howard from Manchester United on a permanent deal for an undisclosed fee.

The 27-year-old United States star has signed a five-year contract, that will start at the end of the season.

He has been in outstanding form at Everton since falling out of favour at Manchester United, keeping 11 clean sheets in 27 appearances.

Howard said: "The club shares my ambition - that is for sure. So does the manager and so do fans."

He added: "I was drawn to the club for a number of reasons and the players in the dressing room are one of them."

Everton manager David Moyes told the club website: "We are delighted to have Tim Howard.

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"He has come in this season and proved he is a good keeper and we are pleased to have secured him."

United have new England international Ben Foster and Polish keeper Tomasz Kuszczak as back-up to Edwin van der Sar, leaving Howard's future at Old Trafford under a cloud.

Manchester United paid �2.3m to sign Howard from New York/New Jersey Metrostars in July 2003, and he played 77 games for them before moving to Goodison last summer.

The permanent arrival of Howard also suggests that Richard Wright, the current number two, will be released in the summer. Everton have two highly-promising youngsters as back-up in Iain Turner and John Ruddy.

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