The U.S. boss says that he believes the Valencia star does see remaining with the U.S. as a good thing for his development
U.S. men’s national team boss Gregg Berhalter believes Yunus Musah feels comfortable with the team as he hopes that the talented midfielder will opt to remain with the U.S. despite interest from England.
Musah completed his first USMNT camp on Monday, starting and playing 76 minutes in a 6-2 win over Panama.
Monday’s appearances was the Valencia starlet’s second for the USMNT, having recently earned a call-up after representing England for the entirety of his youth career.
A former captain for England at the youth level, Musah shined in both matches, fitting in perfectly alongside Weston McKennie and Tyler Adams to offer Berhalter a glimpse at what may just have been his first-choice midfield.
However, Musah’s international future is anything but certain, with England boss Gareth Southgate recently stating that he hopes to convince Musah to rejoin England in the future.
Berhalter, meanwhile, remains confident that the U.S. can keep hold of the teenager, saying that he believes that Musah has already started to fit in with the group.
“I didn’t read any of [Southgate’s] comments but I was really happy with Yunus’ performance. I’m really happy with him and camp, the guys really took to him well,” Berhalter said on Monday after the USMNT’s win.
“All I’ve ever said about players in his category is that all we want to do is create an environment for them, that they want to be in, that they trust is a good environment for the development. And it seemed like that was the case for Yunus.
“It seems like he sees us as a pathway to continue to develop and play with a good young group, but in the end, it’s going to be him and his family that decide and we’re here for him to answer any question, but it’s going to be him that decides.”
Giovani Reyna, another one of the 10 newcomers called into this camp, echoed Berhalter’s comments, saying that he too would like to see Musah stay with this team going forward.
The Borussia Dortmund star, who scored his first USMNT goal in the win, says he believes that Musah is one of the best players in his age group, and keeping him with the USMNT would be a huge step forward for a young team looking to come together in the coming years.
“I’ve played against them a few times with the youth national team and he was always a good player,” Reyna said. ” I mean, there’s a reason he’s playing for Valencia every week. He’s a big player and one of the best 02’s in the world, I’d say.
“This is a really personal decision for him. So for me, and the rest of the guys, we can’t say much. Of course, we’d love to have him here and I see him being a big part of our team going forward. But, like I said, it’s wherever he feels closest to the heart, and hopefully, it’s here.
“We’ve had a good time with him and he’s a great guy. We got to know him well, so we’ll just have to see what happens next.”
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