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The recruitment battle for dual national talents is one that every coach knows, which is why March 4 could be an unforgettable day for the United States men’s team. That day, manager Gregg Berhalter received a text from Valencia midfielder Yunus Musah with a simple request: “Coach, can I talk to you?”

Berhalter said yes. At that moment, Musah – who, in addition to the USA, was eligible to represent Ghana, England or Italy – informed him that he would promise his international future to Red, White and Blue.

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“It was a pretty happy conversation,” Musah told ESPN in an exclusive interview. “I said [Berhalter] I appreciate everything and the way he received me as a team and I just want to start this journey with everyone else and the USA. “

Berhalter was not as composed. Although this was the latest coup to recruit a player with multiple international options, a list highlighted by Barcelona defender Sergino Dest, Musah is seen as another special talent.

“I shouted into the phone. I gave a loud ‘Yes!'” Berhalter told ESPN. “But it was good. You don’t just judge him as a player, but just as a person. It’s great to have someone like that on your team.”

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When one country wins a player with more international options, the others lose. It is a zero-sum game that, in some cases, forces players to feel torn in two. The 18-year-old’s ties with England, in particular, deepened, living not only in London from the age of nine, but playing a lot for the three lions at the youth level, although never in the official competition. Musah even took the field twice for England against the USA at the under-17 level, including for the Nike Friendlies 2017 in which England won, 1-0. In this case, the Valencia midfielder is not hindered by the emotions that came with the fact that he said no to England. And there were other suitors.

“It was a difficult situation because England did so much for me,” he said. “When someone is nice to you, you don’t want to upset them. But in the end, you have to make the best decision for yourself.

“I received so many phone calls from a lot of different people, a lot of different organizations. And this made it difficult, as well as the fact that I represented England in the past. That’s why it was a very difficult decision to make. “

But he added: “It’s so interesting. I can’t wait to get started. “

Thus, a 20-month recruitment process was completed by the USA to conquer Musah, one that was perfect for every step of the way. It started shortly after Musah signed with Valencia in the summer of 2019, when the Spanish club notified Nico Estevez, an American male assistant (and former coach of Valencia), that there is a player with an American passport on the list. Berhalter soon contacted a phone call for knowledge to make Musah aware of the American team’s interest. That call eventually opened the door to a meeting with the player’s family to discuss the US program in more depth.

Like most recruitment struggles, relationships played a key role, and the connection between Musah and Estevez took on immense importance. Musah says that since the United States first made contact, he and Estevez have spoken at least once every two weeks. Berhalter added that there were times when his assistant and the player talked as often as every day.

Estevez’s knowledge of Valencia helped Musah make his way through his first season with the club’s B team, as well as the player’s initial foray into the 2020-21 campaign. He also helped him adapt to life in a new country: Estevez talks to Musah through his games and sends him videos. Berhalter recalled that the level of trust between the two was such that Musah began asking for advice and videos from Estevez instead of being the US assistant.

“We’re just talking like real people,” Musah said of his relationship with Estevez. “I didn’t really treat him as a player-coach or anything like that – rather just friends, you might say. He told me about how my week was going. It helped me analyze and improve my game. He understands some of the things I’m going through. “

By the time Berhalter invited Musah to a Welsh national team training camp in November last year, much of the groundwork had been laid, but there was still work to be done. Fortunately for the USA, a wave of talented players has entered the program in recent years, including Weston McKennie of Juventus, Tyler Adams of RB Leipzig, Gio Reyna of Borussia Dortmund and Dest. They made sure Musah reached for a warm hug.

The positive vibes paid off, and if there was ever a telltale sign that Musah was leaning toward the US, it was evident in the preliminary team’s photo before his international debut against Wales in November last year. These photos are usually about players who have the face of the game, intensity and concentration. That was largely the case here, except for Musah, who had the widest smile.

“I said to myself, ‘Listen, just enjoy this moment, because it’s coming only once,'” he said. “And surprisingly, the coaches told me the same thing, the players told me the same thing, so what I was thinking about was enjoying the game. And, as you can see in the photos, I was already enjoying it. . “

Musah made an impressive debut, helping the US to control the game in the middle of the field in what became a 0-0 draw. This role is a change from the place where he was usually played with Valencia, where he played mostly as a wide midfielder in a 4-4-2. But the center of the midfielder is where he – and Berhalter – feel best. It gives him the chance to show his range of skills: confidence in running with the ball, his vision when it comes to connecting to passes and his energy in defense.

“I feel like I can play in a lot of systems,” he said. “But especially with the US, I feel like we want to be on the field and express ourselves. And when you’re on the field and trying to express yourself, I think your best version comes along. And that’s really important.”

Of course, it wasn’t just the US election of Musah.

“He falls in love with everyone,” Berhalter said of Musah. “He’s such a good guy, such a friendly guy who needs to be around; great behavior, great attitude. The thing about him is that when you’re around him, you can just feel that warmth from him.”

Musah also took part in the American team’s anti-racism message before the Wales match, one in which his warm-up jacket had the message “United As One”.

“A lot of people talk about racism and how they don’t like it, but not everyone does something about it,” he said. “And the fact that I decided to do something in this regard was a very big thing and I definitely wanted to be involved and be part of it. So, I wrote my own message “United as One”, because no one should have to go through this alone. We’re in this together. “

The friendly matches strengthened the connection, as the USA continued to defeat Panama 6-2 in the second match of that international window. US staff and players did not give up their recruitment launch, as evidenced by the flow of communication between Musah and his US teammates on Twitter and Instagram. But the hard work had been done.

“I guess [about] the amount of time and effort that Gregg and the staff put in, always contacting me from last year, and also makes me come to camp and see how it goes, “he said.” Everyone was really welcoming. Everyone was great, like we saw each other or met. And that helps me because I’m new and they welcomed me very well. In the end, we played two games very well and had fun too. “

Berhalter quickly remembers that Musah is 18 years old. There is still a lot to do, but the US manager cannot help but be delighted with what the future may hold.

“With many of our players, they are very young, so we only have to take them into account when designing,” he said. “It simply came to our notice then [Musah] he is just an extraordinary dynamic with his speed and rapidity, and then he is technically a very good player. He is open to learning, so for me he has a very high ceiling. “

Musah is one of those players who appreciates every ounce of his success so far. He was born in New York while his family was on vacation there, which made him eligible for US citizenship. Musah spent his early childhood in the city of Castelfranco Veneto in northern Italy, near Venice. His first football memories are about going to a nearby park and sharing it with his older brothers, Abdul and Nabil.

When the family moved to East London, when Musah was nine, the game was already in his blood and helped him adapt to a new country and culture. He soon joined Arsenal’s academy and rose to prominence before leaving for Valencia when he was 16 years old. The reason was simple: he saw an easier path to the first team minutes in Spain than he did with the Gunners, but wherever he went, he took that positive attitude with him.

“I think my parents and the culture I had around me, I think that told me to be happy a little bit, if you will,” Musah said. “I feel like whenever there’s something bigger than little, I say, ‘I’m the happiest of it.’ I like to be grateful for everything that exists in life and for everything that happens. This is how I am. “

This approach served Musah well in a league season in which he experienced the maximum of his first La Liga goal against Getafe in November last year, as well as minimums that saw him reduced to the role of a substitute.

“It was hard,” he says. “It’s not the ideal thing, obviously. You always want to grow and have great games and win and win. But football is not like that and if you understand that, then I think this is the main thing, keep working and working. Then you will have potentially more “ups.” You can’t give up.You have to keep working and trying to improve.And as a young player, I am very young in my career, I think it’s great to take this experience of learning and I made sure I learned from it. “

Berhalter has long said he wants to make sure that when a dual national chooses the United States, they do so for the right reasons and that they feel a connection to the country. The US manager says that in Musah, “he really felt how proud he was to be American”.

But beyond Musah’s playing on the field and his body language around the American team, there was a more subtle indication. He used “us” easily and naturally when he referred to the US team that moved easily, showing his unforced connection with this group. While their journey still has a long way to go, with the 2022 World Cup approaching right on the horizon, the latest recruit of the American team is definitely on board.