Juventus boss praises USMNT star Weston McKennie’s versatility: ‘Top-level players can play anywhere’

Juventus achieved a strong result on Tuesday in their 2-1 victory over PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League-Playoff stage, and a big reason why was the American Weston McKennie, who again showed his interest that his interest was only the fifth American international that scored in the champions in the League Knockout phase champions.

View: usmnt -midfielder Weston McKennie scores a stunning Champions League -goal against PSV

Francesco Porzio

After he apparently arrived every season on the outs of Juventus, he managed to prove his value and make an important contribution time and time again. Since he was linked to a relocation of Turin in the summer, McKennie has now become one of the first names on the team schedule with his versatility, working speed and timely target contributions, so much so that his manager, Thiago Motta, a charge of praise over the resident from Texas.

“If people ask me if a player can play wide, centrally or in different roles, they may not understand why, but to be honest, I don’t care. What I know is that Weston is a high level player who can play anywhere And he must now be on the field. “Maybe keepers are different. We have three big keepers, and that is a different situation, but in other positions it is difficult to keep him on the couch. He proves that his value is, whether he plays like a fullback, a Midfielder or a wing player.

Motta himself is a former midfielder of Barcelona and knows a few things about a player at a top level, it is one thing to be strong in your specific position, but what McKennie has done is to exceed midfield while he as a player during his career grows. Other clubs have benefited from players who offer such versatility, with Federico Valverde from Real Madrid the best example. Although McKennie is still a long way to go to that level, his invaluable presence makes Motta’s work easier, because he wants to bring the club back to his glory days at the continental stage.

Although there have been a lot of ups and downs, with McKennie having to prove himself to every new manager at Juventus, he was able to do that while he was now a fixture in European football. With so few Americans who regularly start in top competitions, it is something that cannot be taken for granted. McKennie has spoken about how he likes to prove doubters incorrectly and with every kick of the ball he does exactly that.