FBL-FRIENDLY-DORTMUND-ASTON VILLA

The former United States soccer prodigy has drawn parallels between his own career challenges and those currently facing American midfielder in Germany

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WHAT HAPPENED

Former U.S. international Freddy Adu has offered his perspective on Gio Reyna’s complicated situation at Borussia Dortmund, where the American midfielder has struggled for consistent playing time amid growing transfer speculation. Adu quickly drew parallels to his own career, even finding humor in how closely Reyna’s circumstances mirror his experiences in Europe. The former teenage phenom noted that, like Reyna, he often delivered stronger performances for the national team than at club level.

“I'm laughing right now because that was my story, man," Adu told The Sporting News. "I was struggling to find playing time at the club level when I was in Europe, and any time I got a chance to be on the national team I ended up playing some of my best games."

"I do,” Adu explained while empathizing with Reyna’s situation. "It's literally my story. It's like, I go to Europe, I'm not playing a lot, I'm going alone from here to here to here, and I'm still not playing a lot. But when I do get some playing time and I do play well, and I get a chance to be with the national team, I'm always like, 'alright, national team, boom, I'm ready to go,' and I performed better for the national team than I did with my club teams at certain points. So, I do feel for him."

Gio Reyna Freddy Adu

WHAT FREDDY ADU SAID

Adu, who spent his entire career trying to live up to outsized expectations, offered Reyna, a former highly touted prodigy himself, some advice and believes that the American needs to leave Dortmund this summer.

"With Gio, he needs to leave Dortmund, there is no ifs, ands, or buts," Adu added. "He's got to go to a smaller team - in Europe, I hope he stays in Europe because that would be good for him to grind it out - [where] he's gonna have a chance to be a regular starter and a regular contributor on the team.

"As a player, you don't get better by just sitting on the bench or playing small minutes at a big club. You just don't. I think Spain would be good for him because I think the style of play suits him.”

The former Philadelphia Union star also advised Reyna to just keep his head down and keep putting in the work in to make sure that when the opportunity arrives, he can make it count.

"You don't get into form when you get 20 minutes a game or 10 minutes a game, or you start a game and get taken off at halftime," Adu said. "It messes with your game, it messes with everything. You don't get into a rhythm and improve as a player. I think that's where he is right now, and that's where I was most of my career when I went to Europe."

The challenges of limited minutes, Adu noted, are something Reyna will have to push through if he’s going to seize his next big chance.

"The advice would be, really just keep your head down and keep grinding, man, and when you get that opportunity, you have to make it count," he said. "You just have to. If you get that opportunity and you are just okay on the field... you have to ball out when you get that opportunity. That's why you have to be ready, ready, ready to train and don't get frustrated so you're ready to take that chance when you get it."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Reyna's situation represents a familiar challenge for American players attempting to establish themselves at elite European clubs. The 21-year-old midfielder has shown flashes of his exceptional talent but has faced persistent obstacles over the last two years, including injuries, coaching changes, and competition.

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WHAT’S NEXT?

Reyna must decide whether to pursue a transfer from Borussia Dortmund or fight for position under new management during the upcoming season. The American has been linked with a move to Italy, England, Spain and several other leagues but nothing has materialized as of yet.