Juventus’ Weston McKennie Wins the US Soccer Male Player of the Year Award

Juventus’ midfielder Weston Mckenzie won the US Soccer Male Player of the Year award, earning his most significant individual achievement so far.

The 22-year old was awarded the honor earlier today, with him winning 44 percent of the votes, far ahead of Christian Pulisic from Chelsea, who had 27 percent. Barcelona’s Sergino Dest had 14 percent of votes.

“I want to thank everyone for this huge honor. It’s been a journey, especially through these difficult times during the pandemic,” he said in a released statement. “Our fans have stuck with us throughout, and we really appreciate it. Hopefully, in 2021 we can have many more memories together.”

Weston McKennie is named @USMNT Player of the Year 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/7qtzRAugx7

— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) December 18, 2020

McKennie, who landed in Turin this summer, immediately became an indispensable part of their midfield, with the Old Lady’s coach, Andrea Pirlo, relying upon the American a lot. It seems that Pirlo sees him not only as the regular member of the starting lineup, but also as the cornerstone for some long-term plans.

Up until this point, he posted 13 appearances in all competitions and scoring two goals for the Italian champs.

Previously, McKennie played for four years in the German powerhouse, Schalke, earning a total of 91 appearances with five goals. Even though being a teenager, the Miners saw massive potential and decided to put him into the first team immediately, which eventually turned to be a jackpot for both sides.

During that time, McKennie became a regular member of the USMNT, racking up 21 international caps scoring six goals. An especially impressive year in his national team career was 2019 when McKennie had 12 matches for the American team and five hits, three of them coming at the CONCACAF Gold Cup, where the US crew won the silver medal, losing to Mexico in the finals.

McKennie’s first soccer steps were in Germany, where he learned to play in Phonix Otterbach. After returning to the states, FC Dallas recognized his talent, and McKennie spent the next seven years in their youth system, building himself a reputation as one of the biggest US talents.

After having some doubts about his future, McKennie accepted the proposal from Schalke in 2016, turning down the offer for a scholarship from the University of Virginia.

McKennie fits Juventus’ needs perfectly. He is a versatile midfielder who knows how to play several positions in that area. McKennie is a modern box-to-box player with excellent control of the ball and a relentless mentality. He might not be a lethal finisher, but he is among the best players in Europe in the defensive aspect of play.

That versatility is what Juventus needed. It seems that Pirlo wanted the American to come to Allianz Stadium so that he can have a player capable of accepting several roles.

The former Italian superstar was in a similar situation during his career. In the beginning, he too was in charge of defensive duties, but as time went by, became one of the best playmakers in soccer.

McKennie’s passing abilities and creativity resemble Pirlo’s, and it wouldn’t be odd to see the Italian taking the youngster under his wing and helping him perfect his skillset.

There are many challenges ahead of Juventus, the most important ones coming in the Champions League. The Old Lady faces FC Porto in the round of 16. After last year’s exit against Lyon at the same stage, the Italian champions have to be very careful.

With McKennie at the expected level, there shouldn’t be any problems with overcoming the Portuguese champions.