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Without a doubt, Leeds is an American Premier League team. And on Monday night, the moniker of ‘Leeds USA’ grew stronger when Weston McKennie completed his loan move from Juventus.
There he was greeted by US captain, teammate and friend from his teenage years, Tyler Adams. Adams stalked McKechnie while conducting his first interview as a Leeds player, then took on his journalism duties himself.
“He had nothing to do with my decision!” McKennie joked about Adams shortly after putting pen to paper to officially become a Leeds player.
He continued: We like the bumpy atmosphere. But it’s clear you know there’s a big American support network here – Jesse’s here, you Brendan (Aaronson) – played for the national team, so it was an easy decision .
Weston McKechnie and Tyler Adams reunite in Premier League squad Leeds
The two have been friends since the age of 14. Here, after McKennie joined Leeds, Adams is pictured together at his U17 USA camp in Florida during his teenage years, which Adams posted on his social media.
Adams surprises McKennie in first Leeds interview after joining from Juventus
When Adams asked the question, it was an interview littered with laughter and cheeky grins between the two, the joke carried over to social media, and Adams posted a throwback photo from US Under-17s training camp in Florida. was posted.
They first met when they were 14. At the time, McKennie was actually shorter than Adams, but he is now 6 feet tall and 3 inches taller.
“That picture came out and I lost it,” Adams said of the image in 2018. “Wes hadn’t hit his growth spurt yet.
Their story is worth noting. The two made their U.S. debut together against Portugal in November 2017. It ended in a 1–1 draw, with McKennie scoring for the United States.
However, the pair are in England for work and McKennie has to start full steam ahead. Will – another team battling to stay in the league – next Sunday’s must-win game.
McKechnie told Adams, “The 8 roll is my favorite position to play, running box-to-box, making plays and trying to come back defensively.” “I like to attack and defend freely.”
Both McKechnie and Adams impressed US midfielders at World Cuo
Adams is America’s captain, and McKennie has established himself as the team’s key man.
The USA advanced to the round of 16 of the World Cup in Qatar, where they lost 3-1 to the Netherlands.
Speaking to ESPN in 2018 without Adams’ distraction, McKennie went into more detail about how the duo complement each other.
“I think we’re both keen on pressing,” McKechnie said. “We both like to press and we both have good lungs so we can run for a while. , I think that’s one of the things we’re talking about.
“I know you like to press and I know the style you want to play. I think we definitely compliment each other.
Speaking to FOX before the World Cup, McKennie also explained how Adams can draw tough lines with him if necessary.
“We know each other so well that we can talk openly with each other,” McKechnie said. There is nothing wrong with letting it go.”
Adams kept his cool in the face of heavy criticism from Iranian journalists at a press conference before the two teams played in Qatar, winning fans around the world at the World Cup.
The reporter corrected Adams on the pronunciation of “Iran” before asking if he was comfortable representing a country that “has a lot of discrimination against black people.”
McKennie, meanwhile, was the standout performer for the United States in Qatar, but failed to complete a single 90-minute run in the tournament after suffering a thigh injury the previous month. Each time he was replaced, the U.S. struggled to maintain a foothold in the game.
Adams (pictured) and McKennie made their U.S. debuts in the same match in November 2017.
McKechnie (right) scored a goal against Portugal in a 1-1 draw.
McKennie played with Cristiano Ronaldo at Juventus – he affectionately called him ‘Texas Boy’
Leeds’ success from now until the end of the Premier League season in May will also have a significant impact on the reputation of US football around the world.
Jesse Marsh has admitted that it didn’t help Ted Lasso gain respect as an American, replacing beloved Marcelo Bielsa at Leeds a year ago.
Marsh has clearly tried to use his knowledge of American football in the same way Rafa Benitez did in Spain coaching Liverpool or at Arsenal as France’s Arsène Wenger.
Leeds now have three American midfielders on the field in Adams, McKennie and Aaronson. With the United States working hard to establish itself as a force in international football and the country being a co-host of his 2026 World Cup, the team’s matches will be highly watched in the United States. Become.
This season, Leeds’ games are often prioritized for showing in sports bars across the country, ahead of both the Manchester team and Liverpool, due to America’s presence.
McKennie could be a revelation for Leeds. He impressed Juventus and formed a friendship with Cristiano Ronaldo, who affectionately called him “Texas Boy” in reference to where he was born.Move to Leeds When the news first surfaced, former USA international Alexi Larras said he felt the midfielder could go to a better team in England.
“I think Weston McKennie is better than Leeds,” Larras said on his State of the Union podcast, tweeting a lot to disappoint Leeds fans.
Brad Friedel, a DailyMail.Com columnist during the World Cup and who coached McKennie at youth level in the United States, delivered a rousing tribute to the midfielder.
McKechnie joins Adams and Brendan Aaronson (right) to play for the Americans in Leeds midfield
Leeds are also coached by American Jesse Marsh. The team is currently 15th in the league.
“Weston McKennie is one of my favorite players the United States has ever produced.
“Wes is the type of kid who keeps the ball away in his own box. He has the cunning and skill to get out of tight areas, the range of the pass, the powerful shots at him, the powerful offensive headings – kid. Everything. I have.
The United States is the second-youngest team to host the World Cup in Qatar, and in 2026 there is growing belief that this team will boil over at the right time as the host nation.
However, a 3-1 loss to the Netherlands in the World Cup round of 16 was chilling and showed just how ruthless international football can be in knockouts.
American football must now hope that McKennie and Adams, along with Aaronson, have not learned any more difficult lessons from relegation to the Premier League.
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