Star right-back for the USMNT, DeAndre Yedlin will once again be playing in the Premier League, with his club Newcastle earning promotion this week.
You would be forgiven if DeAndre Yedlin hasn’t been on the top of your mind for the past 12 months. The USMNT standout, has been out of the limelight due to a number of factors. However, the year ahead for the former Seattle Sounder looks ready to prep him for a strong World Cup 2018 run.
Monday afternoon Newcastle defeated Preston North End 4-1 and secured promotion back to the Premier League. Credit to the club for keeping a number of their big stars, as well as manager Rafa Benitez, allowing them a quick return from the Championship.
Brighton & Hove Albion joins Newcastle as the other team to secure promotion to the top flight next season. The third and final team is still to be determined from the end of season playoffs.
Yedlin missing from public focus
While the Championship is still a major league when compared around the world (on average of 17k in attendance), it doesn’t get anywhere near the amount of coverage in the US that the EPL does. Thus, even with DeAndre playing at a big club such as Newcastle, only a small group of US soccer fans were going to keep up with his general progress.
On the national team side, European players are general kept out of the January camps. However, an injury saw Yedlin miss out on the important March World Cup qualifiers. Which gave way to the Graham Zusi at right back experiment.
Time for a return on all fronts
Even with this injury, Yedlin was a key piece of the Newcastle side, making a total of 30 appearances for the club during the 2016-17 season. And there is full expectation that he will remain their starting right back in the Premier League next season.
A return to the spotlight, the US soccer consciousness, and improved competition. All three are perfectly timed as the US looks to have him in peak form come next summer.
By the time the USMNT gets back into World Cup qualifying matches in June, Yedlin will be fully fit and available. While Zusi has looked strong in his new role in a solid Sporting Kansas City defense, Yedlin’s talent and attacking ability will be needed against Mexico on June 11.
Next: USMNT: U-17s rolls past Jamaica in CONCACAF opener
Still only 23, and under contract at Newcastle until June 2021, Yedlin has an opportunity to really break out as a star EPL and international defender over these next 18 months.