Football
9y

DeAndre Yedlin relieved to be on loan to Sunderland

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- When DeAndre Yedlin woke up here on Tuesday morning, he had no idea what team he'd be with at the end of deadline day.

Then the 22-year-old, who moved from his hometown Seattle Sounders to Tottenham Hotspur of the Premier League in January, looked at his phone.

"My agent texted and said call me as soon as you can," Yedlin, who is in the U.S. capital ahead of the national team's friendly against Peru on Friday, told reporters on Wednesday morning. "He said I think Sunderland may be a go."

A few hours later, the loan deal to the Black Cats was confirmed.

"[They] sent the documents over and I signed and went to training," Yedlin said. "I'm relieved its over."

Yedlin had been linked to more than a dozen teams from several European countries before Tottenham and Sunderland reached an agreement on the final day of the summer transfer window. That uncertainty weighed on him, not least because unlike his transfer from MLS to Spurs, his eventual destination was largely out of his control.

"This last month has been pretty stressful because there have been so many different teams that have come up and then gone," he said. "I have some sort of say but not a whole ton, so that was tough. But I'm glad where I ended up and I'm hoping to make the most out of it."

Mainly, he's looking to acquire the game experience that eluded him in London. Yedlin's lone Premier League appearance came late last season, when he played the final 12 minutes in a 1-0 loss to Aston Villa.

"Obviously they're a little bit lower on the table," Yedlin said of Sunderland. "I just felt like it was a good place for me to go."

U.S. coach Jurgen Klinsmann agreed.

"We're very pleased, because hopefully it gives him more playing time," Klinsmann said on Wednesday.

Yedlin said he's not sure what position he will compete for at Sunderland. But with Billy Jones entrenched as manager Dick Advocaat's starting right-back, a spot on the wing seems most likely.

When he'll actually report to Sunderland is also in question. For now, Yedlin expects to remain with the U.S. team through both of its September matches, rather than leaving early to join his new club. After playing Peru, the Americans face Brazil in suburban Boston on Tuesday.

Whenever he arrives, Yedlin is happy that his new team is also in the Premier League.

"That's huge," he said. "It's a league that you really have to get used to. It's a tough league, so I think getting the experience of playing with a Premier League team, just getting hopefully consistent games will be huge for me."

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