Flying underneath the radar with most American followers, winger Kevin Lankford is quietly changing into an essential contributor for FC Heidenheim within the 2.Bundesliga and he hopes that his success can put him into the combination for the U.S. U-23 Olympic crew.
BY
Brian Sciaretta
Posted
September 13, 2018
3:50 AM
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THERE ARE A whole lot of younger American gamers making an attempt to make their method in Germany proper now. Christian Pulisic and Weston McKennie have had enormously robust begins to their careers and there are others like Josh Sargent who’re additionally making an attempt to interrupt via.
Kevin Lankford, 19, shouldn’t be a well-known title inside American soccer circles however the German-born winger is making an attempt to vary that after showing in all 4 of FC Heidenheim video games to start out the two.Bundesliga season.
When Christian Pulisic turns 20 later this month, Lankford would be the solely American teenager enjoying first crew minutes in Germany in the intervening time.
However regardless of his youth, his introduction into the primary crew at Heidenheim has been gradual. He made his first crew debut within the second half of the 2016/2017 season and performed commonly after the winter break – principally as a sub. Then within the 2017/2018 season, he performed in 14 2.Bundesliga video games that season. This far in 2018/2019 he’s on tempo to play considerably extra minutes.
When requested if this shall be his breakout 12 months, Lankford is each reluctant however filled with optimism.
“Why not?” Lankford stated with fun. “Me, as a person, I want to get better every training, every day, every week, every month. When I play, and I start, I love it. Everybody wants to play. I hope it is a breakout year for me. I don’t have to rush. I am still 19 years old but I want to grow as fast as possible. In a few years I want to go with Heidenheim to the first league because I want to play first league too. This year could be my year, I don’t know, but I hope it is my year… As a player, I feel good. I have played every game.”
Whereas Lankford nonetheless has a methods to go to be the participant he needs to be, he has proven glimpses of spectacular expertise this 12 months in 2018. In April, he pulled off a spotlight reel help in a 3-1 win over a Fortuna Dusseldorf facet that was finally promoted to the Bundesliga.
Final month, he scored his first skilled purpose in a 5-2 win over Jeddeloh within the German Cup.
“I play on both right or left wing but I feel more comfortable on the left side,” Lankford stated of his type. “I am right footed and I can shoot when I go into the middle and I can cross with my left foot better than I shoot with my left foot. In my opinion, I am more dangerous when I come from the left side.”
Over the previous decade, German-born/raised Individuals have featured commonly for the US and its youth groups and Lankford himself performed for the U.S. U-19 crew underneath Brad Friedel on the 2016 COTIF Event in Spain. It was there he performed alongside Weston McKennie and scored one purpose in three appearances.
Like many of the different German-born American gamers, Lankford’s U.S. citizenship derives from an American father who served within the U.S. Military and was stationed in Germany the place he met Lankford’s mom.
However as Lankford developed into knowledgeable soccer participant, he didn’t wait round for U.S. Soccer to find him. As a substitute, he took a extra proactive strategy to get seen.
“I wasn’t so surprised to get called up,” Lankford recalled. “I had a manager in Germany and I asked him if he could do something to get U.S. Soccer to see me too because I wanted to play for the United States. A few months later, they called me up. I was very happy.”
To at the present time, Lankford is shut with the American facet of his household which may be very massive. His father has 9 siblings and is from simply outdoors Newport Information, Virginia. Lankford is fluent in English and realized the language from his father and his household, his common journeys to the US rising up, and in addition from his German mom who was additionally fluent and spoke English to him regularly when he was a baby.
He has a number of childhood recollections from his visits to the US. He would usually journey to New Jersey to see his aunt who would take him to New York Metropolis. One time, about 9 years in the past, there have been no Oreos or Reese’s Items in Germany and he introduced again to Germany as a lot as might carry. (including: “I loved the American food and nearly everything about it.”)
However whereas he’s planning to return to go to subsequent 12 months to see his household, Lankford hopes that his soccer brings him again stateside much more regularly.
It was already two years in the past when he performed for U.S. U-19 crew however he’s hoping that his growing minutes within the 2.Bundesliga will open extra doorways sooner or later – maybe with the U-23 crew which can possible start its Olympic qualifying preparations subsequent 12 months.
“It was a great experience,” Lankford stated. “I loved to play with them. When the national anthem played, I got goosebumps. It was very, very good. I hope to play more for the United States.”
