But for a quirk of fate, Weston McKennie could easily have been pulling on an American football shirt tonight rather than one of Leeds United.
The affable USA international flies in from Italy today to complete his loan move from Juventus, a deal which could be made permanent for £30million.
Yet if McKennie’s father John had answered a different calling 18 years ago, the young Texan has always believed he would have made a career in the NFL as opposed to being one of his country’s most talented ‘soccer’ players.
Juventus star Weston McKennie is on the cusp of completing a £30m move to Leeds United
John McKennie, a staff sergeant in the army, was due for a permanent change of station. They considered Alaska, but the family instead decided on Germany, and the Ramstein Air Base, based around 10 miles outside Kaiserslautern.
It was there that McKennie was first introduced to football.
‘Germany was the starting point: I never knew soccer was a sport before,’ said McKennie. ‘I went across the street to play with my brother sometimes and that’s when I met my first coach.’ Pushed though on what he would have become otherwise, McKennie has little hesitation. ‘I’d probably be playing American football, sitting here like 200 pounds and stocky.
‘I played that before I moved to Germany because my dad was in the military. That’s one of the reasons I started playing soccer, because they didn’t have that for my age over there in Germany.’
McKennie was first introduced to football 18 years ago after his staff sergeant father moved the family to Germany
Schalke came calling in 2016, which saw him shunned the MLS and a university scholarship
It may not sit so well with Leeds United’s investors from San Francisco 49ers, but McKennie has even impressed watching coaching staff of the Cleveland Browns after he put on a virtuoso quarter-back display post training at one of USA’s Gold Cup training camps. Not satisfied with text-book 60-yard spiral throws at all angles, he finished off with a few 50-yard field goals.
‘I think I could have made the NFL if I would have stuck with it. I’m one of those guys where whatever I do, I try to give 100 percent to it,’ says the Washington Commanders fan. ‘So if that was American football, I would have stuck with that and gave everything to that as well.’
McKennie joined his first soccer club, FC Phönix Otterbach, as a six-year-old in 2004. Taken along by his mother Tina, who was keen to channel his rambunctious…