Former Germany striker Jurgen Klinsmann has labelled Tyler Adams as a "very special" player after the USA midfielder helped Gregg Berhalter's side qualify for the knockout stages of the FIFA World Cup.
Adams joined Leeds United last summer from RB Leipzig in a £20 million deal and has quickly established himself as a fan favourite at Elland Road, featuring in 13 of the Whites' 14 Premier League fixtures as a disciplined holding midfielder.
The 23-year-old became the youngest player to captain America at a World Cup since 1950 and appears to have continued such form in Qatar. He even won plaudits after admirably answering a politically-fuelled question from an Iranian journalist on pre-match press conference duties.
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And Klinsmann, who managed the Stars and Stripes between 2011 and 2016, sang the praises of Adams and hailed his route to the top. "This kid [Adams] is very very special," he explained.
"Tyler came up the difficult way - went very early to Europe, fought himself through different clubs, and he’s so highly respected by all his teammates, they always look at him. If things go wrong they look to Tyler.
"He may not be so vocal as Weston McKennie who’s more outgoing, but he’s leading that young group and they’re absolutely fearless. They are enjoying every second of this game tonight."
Adams has been one of the tournament's star performers and has earned several plaudits from pundits and across social media. He has covered the most distance and leads the competition in tackles.
Ex-Southampton and Stoke City man Danny Higginbotham is also a fan, with the former defender writing to his 75.8k Twitter followers: "Tyler Adams immense once again. One of the standout performers in the World Cup so far."
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