It’s a neurological disorder that causes involuntary movements and noisesknown as ticsbut for leading goalkeeper Tim Howard, Tourette’s syndrome was the making of him.

As revealed in his autobiography, “The Keeper,” symptoms began to appear when he was 10, and not long after that, the American was diagnosed and told he also suffered from obsessive-compulsive disorder.

But Tourette’s didn’t derail his career.

Indeed, he said it made him “hyperfocus” and theorized that it helps him to anticipate in penalty shootouts.

Anyone who watched last year’s World Cup in Brazil wouldn’t doubt Howard’s ability.

He became a household name in his homeland as well as in other parts of the globe following his stellar display for the U.S. against Belgium in the round of 16.

His performance in South America even earned him a place in the top 10 — a rarity for a U.S. footballer — in the Associated Press voting for 2014 male athlete of the year. He tied for sixth with Lionel Messi.

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Q: But are you ready for another long-term relationship if you found that right person?

A: (Laughs). Oh, I don’t know about that. That’s something I’ll let fall into place if it does.

Q: Concerning life on the pitch, you talked about Tourette’s syndrome helping you in aspects of goalkeeping. How different of a goalkeeper would you be if you didn’t have Tourette’s?

A: It’s a tough question to answer in terms of what my life would be like without it. I have no idea. I found a way to cope with it and succeed and so it’s hard for me to say exactly who I would be or what type of goalkeeper I would be. I hope physically I would have the same attributes so I would hope that a certain time in my career I would figure out the mental approach to my game, but it’s certainly helped me.

Q: If someone said, “Tim, you could live your life without Tourette’s syndrome,” what would you say?

A: It’s hard for me to imagine what a day would be like without Tourette’s syndrome because I am so content and happy with who I am. (Pauses.) I would probably say, “No.”

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