Antonee Robinson has established himself as one of the best full-backs in the Premier League.
The USMNT star, 27, enjoyed a standout season with Fulham in 2023-24, and was named his club’s Player of the Season.
He provided a career-best six assists last time out – a number that was bettered by just three defenders – Pedro Porro, Vladimir Coufal and Kieran Trippier.
Robinson has started this campaign in a similar vein and has already registered two assists, with Fulham sitting a comfortable eighth in the Premier League table.
He is arguably the standout American star in England’s top flight and is poised to play a big role for his nation under new head coach Mauricio Pochettino.
Robinson’s Premier League experience – and coming up against stars like Mohamed Salah on a regular basis – will no doubt provide a strong base to work with on the international stage.
Ahead of Pochettino’s first game in charge of the USMNT, the full-back has already pinpointed the identity that the team need to rediscover to turn their fortunes around after humiliation at the Copa America earlier this summer.
“Thinking back to teams before us, the US was always gritty, hard-working, horrible to play against, a battling team,” Robinson told The Athletic.
“They had good players but, on the whole, as a team, there was a lot of fight in them. And when we first came together as a team, we definitely had that a lot.
“I remember going into the World Cup, playing against England and feeling that we can make it extremely difficult for teams. But towards the end, it felt kind of soft and stagnant. We didn’t have that bite.”
Pochettino, who signed a two-year contract with the USMNT in September after departing Chelsea, has a reputation for intensity.
He takes charge of a nation coming off a difficult summer after failing to make the knockout rounds of the Copa America, losing two of their three group games.
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The US then suffered through a challenging September international break under interim manager Mikey Varas, losing 2-1 to Canada on home turf for the first time in 67 years before a 1-1 draw with New Zealand.
Robinson wasn’t involved in either of those fixtures, but noted the “minimum requirement” the team needs going forward.
“I was watching us play against Canada and it just felt like they were out-fighting us. I’d back us, at our best, as a better team than them comfortably. But you have to win that fight first,” he said.
“[Canada] did the same thing in World Cup qualifying, where they were just nasty; horrible to play against. And I think that’s something we need to get a bit of because we’re not the most talented team. So that needs to be a minimum.”
Robinson will hope to be involved as Pochettino takes charge of first match, a friendly at home against Panama, on Saturday night.
The USMNT will then travel to play Mexico on Wednesday night.
