After a huge weekend for Americans in Europe, rising Atlanta United fullback George Bello is excited.
The US youth international saw Gio Reyna star for Borussia Dortmund with three assists, Sergino Dest make his Barcelona debut, Chris Richards make his first Bayern Munich start, Christian Pulisic return from injury and much more. It's starting to look like a golden generation for the US men's national team, according to Steve Zakuani, and Bello is proud to watch his compatriots shine across the globe.
It also shows Bello a path forward for his career.
“It’s really good to see, it’s really promising. It shows Americans can really play," Bello told reporters on a virtual press conference Monday. "It’s really great for us that have aspirations to get opportunities in Europe. They’re setting great examples to us."
Bello, 18, has started 10 of Atlanta's last 11 matches. The highly-rated prospect earned his MLS debut in 2018 but was set back by injuries in 2019.
Emerson Hyndman, too, believes this current crop of young stars in Europe are setting a great example for Americans.
“It’s incredible, it’s happened quite quickly," Hyndman said. "They all have done it at the same time. Pulisic and Reyna, those kind of players, have gone over in the last few years. There weren’t too many Americans at that age doing that 5-10 years ago. It’s nice to see these players at big clubs. If they keep going, it’s going to inspire younger kids in America to reach those heights. They can see it’s possible, they’re seeing it on their TV.”
Hyndman left the FC Dallas academy to join Fulham's youth set-up in 2011. He stayed in Europe before joining Atlanta last summer, with stints at Rangers, Hibernian, Bournemouth before coming back stateside.
“You see Alphonso Davies, he did so well in MLS then got his chance," Hyndman said. "It’s every kid’s dream right now to play at the biggest club possible. Who says that can’t be MLS one day in the future? The fact that so many kids are coming through MLS is a good sign.”
