Andre Blake facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Andre Blake

Blake with the Philadelphia Union in 2017
Personal information
Full name	Andre Jason Blake
Date of birth	(1990-11-21) 21 November 1990 (age 34)
Place of birth	May Pen, Jamaica
Height	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Position(s)	Goalkeeper
Team information
Current team	Philadelphia Union
Number	18
Youth career
	Sporting Central Academy
	Harbour View
College career
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2011–2013	Connecticut Huskies	68	(0)
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2014–	Philadelphia Union	261	(0)
International career‡
	Jamaica U17
	Jamaica U20
	Jamaica U23
2014–	Jamaica	88	(0)
Medal record Men's football Representing  Jamaica CONCACAF Gold Cup Runner-up 2015 United States–Canada Team Runner-up 2017 United States Team CONCACAF Nations League Third 2024 United States Team Caribbean Cup Winner 2014 Jamaica Team
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 26 July 2025 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 03:37, 25 June 2025 (UTC)

Andre Jason Blake (born on November 21, 1990) is a professional football player from Jamaica. He plays as a goalkeeper for the Major League Soccer team Philadelphia Union. He is also the captain of the Jamaica national team.

Early Football Journey

Andre Blake started his football journey playing for youth teams like Sporting Central Academy and Harbour View. After that, he played college soccer for three years at UConn. He then signed a special contract called Generation Adidas with Major League Soccer.

During his time at UConn, Andre was a fantastic goalkeeper. He stopped opponents from scoring 37 times in three years. He won the "Goalkeeper of the Year" award for the Big East in 2011 and 2012. He also won the same award for the AAC in 2013. In 2013, he was even a top candidate for the Hermann Trophy, which is a big award for college soccer players.

Playing for Clubs

Joining Philadelphia Union

The Philadelphia Union picked Andre Blake as the very first player in the 2014 MLS SuperDraft. Everyone thought he would be their main goalkeeper right away. However, the Union signed another experienced goalkeeper, Raïs M'Bolhi, so Andre started on the bench.

Andre first played for the Union in a friendly game against Crystal Palace in July 2014. His first official game was a 1–0 win against Montreal Impact. In that game, Montreal's new star player, Didier Drogba, also made his debut. Andre started five more games for the Union in the 2015 season. On September 26, 2015, he made a team record by saving 10 shots in a game against New England Revolution. This helped his team get a 1–1 draw.

Becoming a Star Goalkeeper

During the 2016 season, Andre Blake became the clear starting goalkeeper for the Union. His great performance led to him being chosen for the 2016 MLS All-Star Game in July 2016. He was also the only player from the Union picked for the 2019 MLS All-Star Game.

The 2020 season was a huge year for Andre. He won many awards for his amazing play. He received the Golden Glove award for the MLS is Back Tournament. He also won his second MLS Goalkeeper of the Year award and was chosen for the MLS Best XI team for the second time. Andre was excellent at stopping shots, saving 77.8% of them. He also let in only 18 goals, which was the best in the league for goalkeepers who played 20 or more games. He led the league with 13 wins and had eight games where he didn't let any goals in.

In July 2021, Andre signed a new contract with the Union that keeps him with the team until at least 2024. He also had an option for 2025. In August of that year, he was selected to play in the 2021 MLS All-Star Game against the Liga MX All-Stars.

Playing for Jamaica

Early International Games

Andre Blake played his first game for the Jamaica national football team on March 2, 2014. It was a 2–0 win against Barbados. Later that year, he won his first medal for Jamaica. His team won the 2014 Caribbean Cup, and Andre also won the Golden Gloves award for being the best goalkeeper in the tournament.

Gold Cup Success

Andre started in all six games during the 2017 CONCACAF Gold Cup. He helped Jamaica reach the final, where they finished second to the United States. Andre got a hand injury in the final game. Even though he was injured, he was given the tournament's Golden Glove award. He was the first Jamaican player to win this award. He was also named to the tournament's Best XI team.

In the 2019 CONCACAF Gold Cup, Andre again started every game. He helped Jamaica win their group. The "Reggae Boyz" (Jamaica's team nickname) won their quarter-final match against Panama 1–0. Andre kept a "clean sheet" in that game, meaning he didn't let any goals in. This was his 14th clean sheet for his country. Jamaica made it to the semi-finals but was knocked out by the United States again.

Andre was called up for the 2021 CONCACAF Gold Cup along with his Philadelphia Union teammates Cory Burke and Alvas Powell. He played in four games for Jamaica in that competition. Jamaica was eventually knocked out in the quarter-finals by the United States.

About Andre's Life

Andre Blake is a Christian. He is married and has two children. In the summer of 2015, he received his U.S. green card. This meant he was considered a "domestic player" for MLS teams. In 2021, Andre and his wife opened a sports bar called Blake's Kickout Sports Bar and Lounge in his hometown of May Pen.

In 2022, FIFA released a sports docuseries called Captains. It was produced by Fulwell 73. This eight-part series followed six national team captains during their 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification journeys. Andre Blake was one of the captains featured, representing Jamaica. Other captains included Thiago Silva (from Brazil), Luka Modrić (from Croatia), Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (from Gabon), Hassan Maatouk (from Lebanon), and Brian Kaltak (from Vanuatu). The series was available on Netflix and FIFA's own streaming platform, FIFA+.

Career Statistics

Club Appearances

International Appearances

Awards and Achievements

Andre Blake has won many awards and helped his teams achieve great things:

With Philadelphia Union

• Supporters' Shield: 2020 (This award goes to the team with the best regular season record in MLS)
• MLS Cup runner-up: 2022 (Finished second in the MLS championship)
• U.S. Open Cup runner-up: 2014, 2015, 2018 (Finished second in this knockout cup competition)

With Jamaica National Team

• Caribbean Cup: 2014 (Won the championship for Caribbean nations); runner-up: 2017 (Finished second)
• CONCACAF Gold Cup runner-up: 2015, 2017 (Finished second in the championship for North, Central American, and Caribbean nations)

Individual Awards

• MLS is Back Tournament Golden Glove: 2020 (Best goalkeeper in the special tournament)
• MLS is Back Tournament Best XI: 2020 (Named one of the best 11 players in the tournament)
• MLS All-Star: 2016, 2019, 2021, 2022 (Selected to play in the annual All-Star game)
• MLS Goalkeeper of the Year: 2016, 2020, 2022 (Awarded to the best goalkeeper in MLS)
• MLS Best XI: 2016, 2020, 2022 (Named one of the best 11 players in MLS)
• CONCACAF Gold Cup Golden Glove Award: 2017 (Best goalkeeper in the Gold Cup)
• CONCACAF Gold Cup Best XI: 2017 (Named one of the best 11 players in the Gold Cup)

See also

In Spanish: Andre Blake para niños