When Red Bulls coach Mike Petke was asked if keeper Ryan Meara’s hip injury and teen backup Santiago Castano’s inexperience might force the club to look for a veteran goalkeeper, he said they were looking at every option. Today they signed the most accomplished option in MLS history in Kevin Hartman.

The 38-year-old Hartman has won two MLS Cup, as well as a pair of U.S. Open Cups and Supporters’ Shields. For a club still seeking its first title, he brings an immense amount of leadership and savvy. He’ll also serve as a Goalkeeping Development Manager, working with the young keepers, including one the academy.

“We’d like to welcome Kevin to the Red Bulls,” Red Bulls General Manager Andy Roxburgh saidin a statement. “As one of MLS’ most successful goalkeepers of all time, Kevin brings a wealth of playing experience and the knowledge of what it takes to be successful at the highest level.

“That’s why we are delighted that Kevin will pass on that knowledge to our next generation of goalkeepers in the role of Goalkeeping Development Manager, while also giving us another quality goalkeeping option as part of our first team roster.”

The only player in history to play and start over 400 MLS regular-season games, Hartman spent the last three seasons with FC Dallas, including an incident where present Red Bulls captain Thierry Henry inadvertantly broke his leg. Hartman helped Dallas reach the 2010 MLS Cup final when he had a league-record 0.62 goals-against-average, and his six clean sheets last year brought his league-record to 112.

With the LA Galaxy, he also won the 2002 and 2005 MLS Cups, the 2001 and 2005 U.S. Open Cups and the 1998 and 2002 Supporters’ Shields. In total, he’s a five-time all-star and back in 1999 he went 20-12 with 11 shutouts to be named MLS Goalkeeper and part of the MLS Best XI.