5 American players to look out for in MLS 2020

4. Darlington Nagbe, Columbus Crew SC

Darlington Nagbe

To say that Darlington Nagbe had an eventful upbringing would be a major understatement. The civil war raging in his birthplace of Libera forced Nagbe and his mother to flee to Europe, where his father, Joe, a professional footballer himself, was turning out for the likes of Monaco and Nice. The Nagbes moved around Europe as and when Joe was transferred, eventually ending up in the United States when Darlington was 11 years old.

It didn’t take long for the footballing pedigree to shine through, as Nagbe soon caught the eye while playing college football for Akron. He was the second overall pick in the 2011 MLS Superdraft, joining the Portland Timbers and becoming an instant hit. He received his green card in 2012, became a US citizen in 2015 and soon became a regular in the US men’s national team. He later moved on to Atlanta United and joined has Columbus Crew this off-season, where he will be plying his trade in 2020.

As a player, Nagbe is a robust central midfielder who is always looking to win back possession and set his team off on an attack. Although he rarely contributes goals and assists himself, he is an invaluable ‘pass before the pass’ player and counter-attack initiator who can pull off the spectacular on occasion. The 29-year-old often uses his silky skills to work his way out of crowded areas and move the ball up the pitch, and a stunning juggle-and-volley strike in his debut MLS season (which won the MLS Goal of the Year award) is proof of his exceptional technical ability.