USA boss Jurgen Klinsmann gives his thoughts on DeAndre Yedlin’s move to Newcastle United

Follow us on Google Discover

The 23-year-old American right-back joined the Championship new boys from Tottenham Hotspur last month on a five-year deal.

US national team head coach Jurgen Klinsmann has told ESPN FC that Newcastle United are a “tremendous club” for DeAndre Yedlin to further his development with over the coming seasons.

Yedlin, 23, joined Newcastle from Tottenham Hotspur last month for a reported £5 million fee after spending the previous campaign on loan at the Magpies’ local rivals Sunderland, where he made 25 total appearances.

The pacey American right-back initially found himself stuck behind Billy Jones in the pecking order at the Stadium of Light, but he managed to break into the line-up over the second half of the season to start the club’s final 13 Premier League games, helping them avoid relegation with a match to spare.

While predominantly known for his attacking qualities, the youngster also significantly improved as a defender during his time in the North East and established himself as one of the first names on the USA teamsheet as a result, going on to produce a handful of impressive performances during their run to the Copa America Centenario semi-finals this past summer.

Reports had suggested that Sunderland were keen to sign him on a permanent deal once it became clear that Tottenham were prepared to cash in on his signature [h/t Daily Mail], but the 40-times capped US international ultimately ended up dropping down to the Championship to pen a five-year deal at St James’ Park.

Many had expected him to stay in the top-flight after seemingly proving himself as a Premier League player, but Klinsmann is bullish about the former Seattle Sounders defender’s move and is looking forward to seeing how handles a fresh set of challenges in the second tier.

“I think he’s Premier League level, absolutely,” Klinsmann told ESPN FC before handing Yedlin his latest US cap in Friday’s 6-0 World Cup qualifying win over Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. “Obviously playing for a tremendous club like Newcastle United, it feels like Premier League [level]. That club has only one goal and that’s going straight back up, so hopefully that’s going to be the case.

“The league itself is a brutal grind because there is no real time for coaches to work in between games. It’s going from game to game to game. That will be a huge challenge. It’s going to be different to the Premier League.

“But he’s grinding it through, he continues to mature and from a club point of view, it’s totally fine. But it will be a different style of play. It will be different what he sees there and how he experiences it. Yeah, it will be a big growing year for him.”

Klinsmann also revealed that he spoke to Yedlin about his options over the course of the summer, but the ultimate decision to move to Newcastle was the former MLS star’s alone.

“I talk to [the players] but in a way that if they have a question or if they want to know something, I’m a phone call away, 24/7,” the German added to ESPN FC. “But I want them to make their own decisions. I always tell them, ‘Whatever you feel comfortable doing, when you make your decision you’ve got to be 100 percent behind it. It’s OK either way.’

“If you stay where you are or go somewhere else, it’s important that you make your decision in order to grow. So you’ve got to follow your feelings. I’m not in [their] shoes. I don’t know what’s going on where [they] are right now. I’m not calling everybody around [them]. So they call me if [they] need anything.”

Yedlin has already made his Newcastle debut as a late substitute in last weekend’s 2-0 home victory over Brighton and Hove Albion, but how long it will be before he makes his first start remains to be seen.

The 23-year-old, who is suspended for the USA’s clash with Trinidad and Tobago on Tuesday night after picking up a booking against Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, now faces a battle with Jesus Gamez and the versatile Vernon Anita for minutes at right-back, but he insists that he is relishing the challenge ahead.

“Competition’s always good, especially when you have players like Anita and Jesus Gamez on my side who has got a lot of experience in my position and I can learn from,” Yedlin told the Chronicle this week. “I’m just trying to absorb everything, learn from them, learn from Rafa and just take all that experience in.”