The list of Americans trying to cross the pond to play in England continues to grow.
And no, I’m not talking about Landon Donovan.
Teal Bunbury, a 20-year-old U.S. International who has been on trial at Stoke City in recent weeks, is waiting to hear if the Potters will offer him a contract.
Stoke City manager Tony Pulis has high praise for the young forward, but isn’t tipping his hand on what will happen next.
“He’s done smashing, mixed in well and got a goal the other day,” he told The Sentinel. “Whether he’s what we want for the next step, we’ll have to see. But he’s a nice kid and, like most American sports people, is very dedicated. His attitude during his time here has been first-class.”
Bunbury was born in Canada to a Canadian father and American mother and traveled to England and Portugal as his father played professional soccer in those two countries.
When he was 10, the Bunburys moved to Minnesota, and he eventually ended up at the University of Akron.
While playing for the Zips, he came off the bench as a freshman before blossoming in 2009 as a sophomore. He led the nation with 17 goals in 25 matches and led the Zips to the College Cup Final.
He then signed a Generation Addias deal and was the fourth overall pick in the 2010 MLS SuperDraft by the Kansas City Wizards – now known as Sporting Kansas City.
Typically a striker, Bunbury spent a lot of time in his first season in Kansas City playing more of an attacking midfield role behind the forwards. He had five goals and two assists in 26 appearances (13 starts).
It will be interesting to see if Bunbury can adapt to the physical brand of soccer that Pulis favors. Whether he gets offered a deal or not, I think Bunbury will be better for the experience.
