The release of Aston Villa defender Eric Lichaj was confirmed by the club a little more than a week ago now, and it's not taken long for the once-upon-a-time US national team defender to draw interest from prospective suitors.
Sky Sports reported on Thursday that Championship club Nottingham Forest — former home of another once-upon-a-time national teamer, Robbie Findley — are not only interested in signing the 24-year-old Chicago native, but are the leading candidates to do so. Lichaj appeared 23 times for Villa in 2012-13, and 42 times overall since he signed with the club in 2008. His last appearance for the USMNT came in a 4-2 loss to Mexico in the Gold Cup final on June 25, 2011.
We specualted initially that Lichaj might be a solid reclamation project for an MLS club looking for a still young, high potential American player, as well as many other recently released Premier League players on the move this summer. But the lure of remaining in Europe may prove to be too much to overcome for the clubs of a league in which Lichaj has never played.
Sky Sports also lists "the host of other clubs" as also being interested in Lichaj. And, as ever, "Sky Sports Sources."
Let's say Lichaj's 2013-14 season goal is to get himself onto the World Cup squad, which of course it is. Should he be looking to playing for a promotion hopeful team in the Championship, or coming back Stateside for a year or two in his domestic league?
