Tottenham’s Yedlin Praised by USMNT Teammates
Tottenham Hotspur right-back, DeAndre Yedlin, continues to be praised following his season-long loan spell with Sunderland this past season.
United States Mens’ National Team players, Geoff Cameron and Brad Guzan, are the latest people to make positive comments on DeAndre Yedlin’s loan with Sunderland during the 2015-16 Premier League season.
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Yedlin’s footballing career in the Premiership didn’t start out exactly like he had hoped after joining Tottenham from MLS side, Seattle Sounders, and only making one appearance with his parent club before leaving last summer on loan to Wearside.
After making 25 league appearances and becoming a regular in Sam Allardyce’s starting XI and playing a pivotal role in keeping Sunderland above the relegation zone this past season, Stoke City and American center-back, Geoff Cameron, has seen a major difference in the 22-year-old.
“It’s night and day,” Cameron said (via Sunderland Echo).
“You see his tenacity, his aggressiveness, his thought process on the ball. He’s got the experience.”
“He’s been fighting relegation pretty much all season and that changes you as a player because it’s do or die – the fact that you either lose your contract or go down to the Championship, or you stay up and that brings the team together or it doesn’t.”
“Sunderland ended up bringing the team together, they worked for one another and he got a lot of experience on it, and that’s helped him and it will help him in his career.”
Fighting for survival isn’t something completely new to DeAndre Yedlin as he had to play well with the Sounders or he could lose his starting job prior to and following a good showing after the 2014 FIFA World Cup.
Having a whole team get relegated is something that Yedlin has never experienced due to America’s closed football league pyramid system with no promotion and relegation. But like Geoff Cameron said, trying to survive helps players play on another level because their jobs are on the line, as well as the club that they’re representing.
And that kind of experience, a do or die situation, is invaluable to have.
Whether Tottenham’s squad will feature DeAndre Yedlin this season or if he could return to Sunderland, Aston Villa and USA’s number one goalkeeper Brad Guzan, believes his future is in good hands after a successful loan spell with the Black Cats.
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“I think DeAndre playing consistently at Sunderland had been very beneficial for himself and I think it shows in his game.”
In USMNT’s tune-up matches leading up to the Copa América Centenario, Yedlin has looked much more improved than when he first moved to England.
The right-back’s calling card was his pace, that’s it. There was nothing more to his game or for people to notice other than how fast he was. Well besides being a liability on defense.
Nowadays, DeAndre Yedlin’s defense has gotten much better. There’s still some work that needs some fixing, where he needs to tighten it up as he can be caught out of position but it’s coming along.
When Yedlin pushes up the pitch as an attacker, because he fills a full-back/wing-back role, his pace comes in handy along with deft dribbles, step overs and feints to get by defenders before setting up some good crosses to teammates in the penalty box.
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Overall, the U.S. international is a different player who has gained plenty of experience and could get a spot on Mauricio Pochettino’s squad even if Tottenham currently have Kyle Walker and Kieran Trippier at right-back already.
Otherwise, a move back to the Black Cats is still on the table if Sam Allardyce and Pochettino decide to agree on a deal. It’s a waiting game right now on Yedlin’s future, soemthing that Allardyce has no control over but would be hopeful of a reunion with the American defender.
“We will wait and see.” Allardyce said. “Everything will be hopefully sorted out and we can start the process as quick as we possibly can.”