Following Musah's path: English player opts to represent USMNT

Rather than represent England on the international stage, Declan Frith, a winger for Valencia, is prepared to dedicate himself to the United States.

Due to his grandmother’s lineage, the English player will be able to feature for the US national team in March, when he applies for a passport. The Evening Standard add that Frith is a potential first pick for the U.S. Under-23 squad.

Nonetheless, he may soon follow in the footsteps of AC Milan midfielder Yunus Musah, a former Mestalla player and American international of English descent.

Scouts from the United States have kept tabs on the kid for the last two years. Thus, an alleged approach from Jamaica is reportedly off the table.

Who is Declan Frith?

Following his release from Charlton Athletic in 2021, Frith joined Chelsea from non-league Welling United. Since then, he has been seen by scouts in the United States.

The versatile forward, who has experience on both the left side of attack and defense, joined Aston Villa following a brief five-month stint with the Blues. The highlight of his eight goals and seven assists in 24 appearances for Villa’s under-21 squad came in a match against Birmingham City, an inter-city rivalry.

In the 2022-23 Premier League 2 season, the multipurpose striker appeared in 12 games, scoring six goals and assisting on five more. He also made two appearances in the EFL Trophy. Yet, his agents found him a fantastic new opportunity, thus his stay in England came to a temporary end. Frith was just signed by La Liga side Valencia this past summer.

In contrast to the English system, which does not have under-21 teams in its divisions, the player was first assigned to play for their reserve team. In fact, they take part in the fourth tier of Spanish soccer. Despite an administrative holdup, he has scored twice and assisted once in his first two youth league games.

Furthermore, he has played three times for Valencia B in the third tier. The 21-year-old could soon earn a promotion to the first squad in the near future, as the financially stressed former Spanish powerhouses place an increased emphasis on youngsters.

USMNT and dual nationals: Never-ending story

Looking at the World Cup roster gives the impression that the United States men’s national team has generally fared well with dual nationals.

The recruitment war, however, is ongoing in the modern era since there are always players debating their international future.

In addition to Yunus Musah, the Netherlands-born Sergiño Dest had previously also passed up good chances to play for the Dutch national team. While Antonee Robinson and Cameron Carter-Vickers may have waited for an opportunity with England, Jesus Ferreira might have stayed with Colombia.

Although it seemed unlikely, Christian Pulisic and Tim Weah were both eligible to play for national teams other than the United States national soccer team. Another deal with Alejandro Zendejas was previously finalized with the USMNT.

A recent spate of important recruiting victories for the U.S. men’s national team included Folarin Balogun’s pledge, the most recent and maybe largest of them. Like the Monaco attacker, U.S. Soccer still has a long way to go before they can celebrate a huge victory. The Americans might benefit from the presence of talented dual nationals at any point in time.

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