STARS AND GRIPES
Minnesota boss Heath tells Southgate: Underestimate the USA and you’ll regret it
ADRIAN HEATH has been banging the drum about MLS talent for years – but no one in England has been listening.
The former Everton striker – now manager of Minnesota United – told his contacts in the Premier League that Alphonso Davies was a superstar in the making.
Then Bayern Munich snapped up the Canadian full-back. Heath (below) reckons Argentine playmaker Emanuel Reynoso at Minnesota is a bit special, too.
But, as the countdown to the World Cup begins – and England face the USA in a group including Wales and Iran – he hopes Gareth Southgate and his players open their ears to his warning that Gregg Berhalter has built a team to respect.
Heath said: “It would be foolish for anyone to take the United St at e s for granted. But I think the only group of people who think it will be easy are England fans because they don’t see enough of the game in the States.
“Gareth Southgate, Stevie Holland and the England staff will know they face a real challenge.
“The USA has a really good coach in Gregg Berhalter. They’ll be well organised and they’ll play.
“A lot of the American players are at big clubs in Europe. Christian Pulisic is at Chelsea. I saw Gio Reyna in a couple of games, looking really good for Borussia Dortmund.
“And Brendan Aaronson has gone to Leeds, along with Tyler Adams.
“There’s some really exciting talent coming through in MLS as well, but there’s still a bit of snobbery about the United States and football. I am sure Gareth Southgate will have watched the US a lot by the time of the finals.
“But if we don’t treat the USA seriously, this could be a banana skin.
“You’d be foolish to say that England aren’t favourites and I think we all expect them to go through top of the group.
“But the US lads will expect to win their other two games – and they’ll also think they can give England a few problems. It won’t be easy.”
Heath also played for Stoke, Espanyol, Aston Villa, Manchester City, Burnley and Sheffield United in a career that realised two title medals, the FA Cup and the European Cup Winners’ Cup with Everton.
He crossed the Atlantic 14 years ago – and has absolutely no regrets. Heath said: “I’ve been around top players all my life and I know some of these guys have a technique and vision as good as anybody I’ve ever worked with.
“I recall asking four or five clubs in England to look at Alphonso Davies (left).
“The response I got was, ‘I’m not so sure, he plays in the MLS’. They could have got him for £2million, but they couldn’t buy him for £100m now.
“I’ve recommended five or six over the last few years and it’s now got to the stage where, if people don’t want to listen, then I don’t need to carry on.
“I keep telling people Reynoso could play in the Premier League. He could go in there and do well.
“He played No.10 for Boca Juniors. It comes with an incredible weight of expectation to wear the shirt once graced by Diego Maradona.
“Can he play for one of the top teams? That’s a question that we can’t answer until he gets there.”