Newcastle United: DeAndre Yedlin showcases American quality in EPL
By Durim Halimi
The American international has played well for Newcastle United this season and is proving that he can play in the Premier League.
DeAndre Yedlin, the former Seattle and Sunderland defender, has found a long-term home at Newcastle United. Fulham is known for signing the most American players in the Premier League, but the Magpies found a young gem in Yedlin.
His 23 appearances with Sunderland in the Premier League sufficed to attract Newcastle’s interest. It was a wise investment for the Magpies as the speedy American has played well in his 26 Premier League appearances for the club. Not only has Yedlin played well, he is proving that he has the quality to establish a career in the top flight.
It is a well-known fact that soccer ranks behind baseball, American football, basketball and hockey in terms of popularity in the United States. However, the quality of soccer in the United States is rapidly rising as more players are gaining recognition in Europe.
In regard to DeAndre Yedlin, there are three key attributes that make the young Newcastle player the best American defender.
Speed
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DeAndre Yedlin is the fastest player on Newcastle’s roster, with Jacob Murphy coming in second place. There are several factors that make a player stand out among the competition in England and one of those traits is speed. Simply put, Yedlin is unreachable without a slide tackle when he moves the ball forward and he closes in on strikers in the blink of an eye on defense.
Yedlin has played well in difficult matches against superior opponents. The American international frustrates talented strikers by utilizing his pace to frequently close gaps and block shots. His speed is also an obvious reason why Rafa Benitez regularly starts Yedlin over Javier Manquillo and Chancel Mbemba.
Aggression
The American may only stand at 5’6″ (172 cm), but he is one of the most aggressive players on Tyneside. Yedlin’s consolidation of speed and toughness is what provided him with an opportunity to play in the Premier League.
What Newcastle supporters value about Yedlin is his refusal to be bullied on the pitch by taller opponents. Thus far this season, Yedlin has won 133 duels, 38 aerial battles and has been successful in 60 percent of his tackles. For a small defender on the wing, those are impressive statistics.
Versatility
This article has largely focused on Yedlin’s defensive capabilities, however, his ability to lead a counter-attack is also worth discussing. Jonjo Shelvey is the primary coordinator in midfield, but it is Yedlin who sets the pace in counter-attacks from the back.
Yedlin is able to adapt his playing style to different situations during a match, even if it requires playing out of position. Yedlin is capable of overlapping Matt Ritchie and Christian Atsu down the wing to deliver a cross into the penalty area. At the same time, Yedlin is able to cover a lot ground side-to-side when a central defender is slow in their recovery of a loose striker down the middle.
Overall, DeAndre Yedlin is mainly recognized as one of the fastest players in England, but his best skill is adaptability.