2019-03-01 World Soccer

In a sentence
A Texan titan of a central midfielder who
is useful on the ball, can chip in with a
goal or two and has copious amounts
of running power.

What they say
Schalke coach Domenico Tedesco: “He
has a great mentality, he’s level-headed
and is the sort who doesn’t give up.
When things aren’t going so well he
embodies the direction we need to take.”
Club-mate Daniel Caligiuri: “The kid is
a fighter. He’s not one to admit defeat.
He does everything to 100 per cent. Few
at the age of
20 show this
sort of talent.”

Story so far
A very single-
minded young
man, he turned
down a MLS
Homegrown
Player contract
with Dallas and
a scholarship at
the University of
Virginia, opting
instead to join Schalke in 2016.
He excelled straight away in the junior
sides and by the end of his first season
he was in the first team, making his
Bundesliga debut in May 2017 against
Ingolstadt. He started 13 top-flight games
last term and would have managed even
more playing time if he had not been
sidelined with a knee-ligament injury.
Currently enjoying a great
breakthrough campaign, he was
particularly impressive when heading
the winner in a Champions League group
game away to Lokomotiv Moscow.
Capped at various youth levels, he
marked his USA senior debut with a goal
in a 1-1 draw with Portugal in November.

The next step
The word is that Liverpool manager
Jurgen Klopp is a big fan and would love
to take him to Anfield in the summer, but
it’s very unlikely that Schalke will give
ground, at least not yet.
Under contract with the club
until 2022, he is seen as one of the
building blocks for a better tomorrow
in Gelsenkirchen and any immediate

sale would not sit well with the fans who

love his all-action style.

Strengths

His ability to play anywhere in midfield: as

a back-line shield, in box-to-box mode or

just behind the front men. Has energy,

power and commitment to burn, and

is a threat both in the air and with his

runs from deep positions.

Weaknesses

A certain impetuosity in his defensive

interventions and general decision

making. Needs to improve his

game-management.

WORDS: Nick Bidwell

Age 20 (28.08.98), midfielder,
Schalke (Ger) & USA

3

THINGS YOU

DIDN’T KNOW

ABOUT McKENNIE

O This is not his first stint living in Germany

• he spent three years as a child in the
  Kaiserslautern area, where his father was
  serving in the US military.
  O Growing up, his favourite player was Roma
  and Italy number 10 Francesco Totti.
  O He is a good friend of Christian Pulisic, who
  will leave Schalke’s regional rivals Borussia
  Dortmund for Chelsea at the end of the season.

“The kid is a fighter. He’s not one to admit defeat. He does

everything to 100 per cent”

Fellow Schalke midfielder Daniel Caligiuri

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