Former Arsenal youngster Yunus Musah is looking forward to the chance to play against England with the USA at the World Cup.
Yunus Musah received his footballing development in the Arsenal academy in England, but he’s since swapped his club football for Valencia and his international career for the United States.
Musah had represented England at every youth level from u15s to u18s, but as he was born in New York City, he was eligible to make the switch to the USMNT.
The 19-year-old’s decision to do so has already paid dividends, as he’s earned 19 appearances for his country and will now travel to the World Cup in Qatar this month.
Of course, that means potentially facing off against his old national team with his new one, as the US face England in the group stage on November 25th at 19:00 GMT.
Speaking to the BBC, Musah admitted he’s looking forward to that game in particular.
“Things happen in mysterious ways,” Musah said. “I was born in the US for a reason, you know? And now I’m playing for the national team, and I’m loving it.
“I had a feeling this (the draw with England) was going to happen, you know? To be playing England, what a special game that will be, having lived in England, knowing how England are as a society, as people.
“Just to share the field with them, and knowing that the whole of England is going to be watching that game, as well as the US. What a big game that will be for me, just a special moment, and I hope it goes well.”
Arsenal are reportedly keeping an eye on Musah, and they’ll be particularly interested to see how he does against England.
Musah has been loyal to Valencia so far, signing a contract extension to 2026 with a €100m release clause. But with Valencia languishing in mid-table, he may find himself wanting to push on and play at another level in the coming years.
“You never know,” Musah said of an Arsenal return. “I had a great time at Arsenal developing there, I still have friends there, the coaches were great, being an Arsenal player in general is great.
“I loved playing for Arsenal. I’ve nothing against the club and if one day it turns out to be that it’s time to go back then it’s possible.
“For now I’m really happy at Valencia and I’m looking forward to carrying this season on in the same way we’re doing now.”