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Gio Reyna credited Christian Pulisic for paving the way for him at Borussia Dortmund, adding that the current Chelsea star led young Americans to believe they could make it to the biggest clubs in Europe.
Reyna broke up with the Dortmund first team in January before scoring an impressive goal against Werder Bremen at DFB-Pokal to mark her place in the first team.
He has played a total of 11 high-level games so far, including a substitute appearance against Paris Saint-Germain that saw him receive an assist while becoming the third-youngest player to appear in a knockout game in the Champions League. .
The teenager’s rise to Dortmund has seen him compared to Pulisic, who broke up with Dortmund before making his money move to Chelsea last summer.
“It not only opened the doors for me, but for everyone [in the U.S.]Reyna told Athletic. “Thanks to him, the young players (from the USA) have come to Europe to great clubs, looking to take the next steps in their careers. He is the one who really made it possible. He made us believe we could do this. “
He added: “The most important thing I discussed with my father and my agent was my need to play. Dortmund was the perfect place for me because I knew that young players like Christian Pulisic and Ousmane Dembele were given time on the field and the opportunity to do so.
“I knew that I might not be the biggest fish in the pond in Dortmund compared to going to other Bundesliga clubs. But I had enough confidence in myself to know that if I worked hard and trained hard I could get to first team and become a regular. I’m on the right track of doing it right now. “
While Pulisic served as an early inspiration for Reyna, the son of American men’s national team legend Claudio, he has also found mentors in two of his current teammates.
Erling Haaland and Jadon Sancho, 17, credit him for helping him make the leap from youth team to senior team, and the two have taken their own important steps in recent years.
“Youngsters like Erling and Jadon are really helpful,” said Reyna. “Jadon, obviously, because he came [to Dortmund from Manchester City] when he was my age, 16 or 17. He understands the work and training a young player needs to do to join the team and then hopefully get started.
“He said, ‘There will be some ups and downs, and even when you think you should be playing but you don’t, you have to keep training and do all the things to show the coach that you’re ready.’ I also play similar positions. I can take parts of what what he does and implement them in my game. And I’ll keep working, trying to emulate the same timeline that he’s in now. “
Reyna originally appeared at the New York City FC academy while her father served as sports director for the MLS club. It was during that time that he learned under then-manager Patrick Vieira, who led the young attacker to first-team training multiple times during his tenure.
However, Reyna made the decision to head to Europe to join Dortmund to continue its development, a decision that has so far been spectacular for the young attacker.
“I was with players like David Villa, (Andrea) Pirlo and (Frank) Lampard, I was used to it. And now, I would play with Marco Reus, Mario Gotze, (Mats) Hummels, players with similar careers. Legends, “Reyna said.
“I was a little nervous and I wanted to do everything right at first. The most important thing I had to work on was my defensive position. Tactically, there is much more structure here. In New York, I was playing as a No. 10 and I could go to wherever I wanted, but here in Germany, I learned how to reduce the (passing) angles here, see the link there … the coach is very accurate like that. “
He added: “With this team and this staff, it is almost difficult not to do it well,” he says. “They have made it much easier for me to take advantage of my opportunity and help the team score goals and make assists. I will continue learning and I hope to improve ”.
Reyna was slated to win her first USMNT call in March before the coronavirus halted soccer worldwide.
Source: m.allfootballapp.com
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