As the only player on the United States roster with any World Cup experience, DeAndre Yedlin has been a man in demand around the American locker room, as the team prepare to take on Wales in their tournament opener.
With the US failing to qualify for the 2018 showcase tournament in Russia, coach Gregg Berhalter did not have a large pool of experience to dip into.
A promising 20-year-old when he made his US World Cup debut in 2014, Yedlin returns a hardened veteran on a squad that are among the youngest in Qatar.
While the Inter Miami defender has been willing to share any wisdom he can with his teammates, he notes the lack of a World Cup resume does not translate into a shortage of big- game experience.
"Obviously, this team is a lot younger and nobody in this group has World Cup experience, but a lot have experience at huge tournaments around the world," Yedlin said. "A lot of these guys have experience in very big games.
"It's been great to come in and help be a leader on this team."
While Yedlin's role is usually coming off the bench, Berhalter has described him as "a glue guy" capable of holding a team together.
Yedlin, 29, is not the oldest member of the US squad, but his World Cup experience makes him unique and a magnet for players like Leeds forward Tyler Adams.
"There is a queue of questions that people have for DeAndre, considering he is the only one with World Cup experience," Adams said. "From the perspective of the role he plays on the team, he is such an important person to have around.
"The way he trains every day and brings the right mentality, he's an amazing professional."
Yedlin says, if there is one piece of advice he could pass along, it is reminding his teammates to stay in moment.
"I've told them it is really hard to explain the experience, it's a personal thing," said Yedlin. "Everyone has different experiences.
"I can tell them that, when I was young, I went in and didn't know what to expect, just took it for what it is and tried to stay present.
"It's a journey, it's an experience they'll remember for the rest of their lives."
Reuters
