FIFA Employs Louis Crayton As Instructor

   Flash back: Crayton and Cameroon'sRigobert Song at SKD

Liberia’s international goalkeeper Louis Crayton has been employed by the World Football Governing Body FIFA as a Goal-Keeper Instructor.

During a conversation with the former Lone Star magic hand: Crayton said “I give God the glory for the opportunity for me to start serving the world by teaching others upcoming goalkeepers.

“I will be working for the Goalkeeper Department and it is a long term job for me and it will create a bright path of Liberia as well”, Crayton explained. Crayton will be conducting seminars around the world especially Africa for English Countries and other parts of the world.

The former international is the first Liberian ex-international from the 90’s generation of Lone Star players that has taken up the employment of FIFA to work with the upcoming generation of players across the world.

Crayton started his career playing for St. Joseph Warriors in Liberia before moving to his first Swiss club, Lucerne, in 1997. He left the club in 1998 to spend two seasons at Grasshoppers Zurich until 2000 before going on to spend one half-season apiece at FC Schaffhausen and FC Wangen Bei Olten in 2000 and 2001.

He then moved to YF Juventus and spent the entire 2001-02 season with the club before going on to spend the entire 2002-03 season at Zug.

In the summer of 2003, he moved to Concordia Basel, and spent two seasons with the club before joining their cross-town rivals FC Basel in July 2005.

However, he spent his entire first season with Basel on the bench as a backup for their first-choice keeper at the time, Pascal Zuberbuhler, who played in all of the club's competitive matches that season.

Crayton finally made his competitive debut for Basel in July 2006, when he made two appearances in both Swiss Super League and UEFA Cup qualification. He also played one match in the UEFA Cup group stage in November 2006 due to a red-card suspension of the first-choice keeper Franco Coastanzo.

On August 7, 2008, Basel announced they were allowing Crayton to move to Major League Soccer, and on August 15, 2008 Crayton had signed with D.C United. He made his first start against Chicago Fire on August 16, 2008, and secured his first MLS shutout in the process.

During the 2009 season, Crayton has been caught in a three-way competition with Josh Wicks and Milos Kocic for the starting goalkeeper position for United.

It appeared that Crayton would get the starting spot in goal for the 2009 season however a hip injury along with Crayton's high salary proved too much for DC which resulted in Crayton's contract to be terminated.

In the winter/spring of 2010 Crayton tried out with the Kansas City Wizards of Major League Soccer but was eventually released. On March 16, 2010 the new expansion NASL team, NSC Minnesota Stars announced that they had signed Crayton to a 1-year deal.

Crayton made his debut for the team in its opening game of the 2010 season against the Vancouver Whitecaps, but suffered a serious season-ending knee injury just minutes into the game.