CLAUDIO Reyna is set to return home to the United States once his current Manchester City contract ends next summer.
The veteran midfielder signed a one-year extension in January, which will allow him to complete a fourth season with the Eastlands outfit.
By then, Reyna will be 34 and ready to pack his bags and head for home.
"I would love to play in the USA before I retire," he said.
"Moving home is one of the obvious attractions but it is also the chance to play in front of my family and friends.
"When you join a club in Europe, you get attached to it and give everything for it.
"But I look around and see team-mates who need to find 10 or 20 tickets for every game. I am the first one they turn to because I hardly ever need them. It is a position I would really like to be in."
Rare
It is 12 years since Reyna crossed the Atlantic, in the immediate aftermath of the 1994 World Cup held in the USA.
Reyna has appeared in two World Cups since and will become one of a rare group of players to be involved in four competitions when he leads his country into their Group E opener against the Czech Republic in Gelsenkirchen on Monday.
Much has changed during the intervening period, not least the interest in a game which has tended to be shunted into the sidelines by the USA's traditional 'big four' sports; gridiron, basketball, ice hockey and baseball.
"When I first moved to Germany from the States, the bigger countries used to look upon us as a bit of a joke," said Reyna, who has shrugged off the hamstring injury he picked up against Morocco last month to declare his availability to face the Czechs.
"It wasn't particularly the team, just the fact the game did not carry any weight in our country.
"Football in the USA was nothing. In some ways the critics had a point because we did not even have a professional league, which doesn't say much.
"But soccer has made huge steps since 1994, not only in terms of the Major League Soccer concept but also the number of players coming through and the excitement factor and tension surrounding the team.
"When I came into the national squad before the 1994 World Cup we would play friendlies when only 10,000 or 15,000 would turn up.
"Now, there are at least 25,000 in the stadium, the matches are always live on TV and the media presence has quadrupled."
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He should return to the united states Full Stop!!!!
That's another one running down their contract. Sell him now for whatever we can get and then get somebody else in.
Thank goodness, only one more season of injuries and ineffective performances. CITD
Says it all that a City player is captaining a country in the World Cup yet I cant be bothered to turn the tv on to watch him.
A lot of negative comments about Mr Reyna. Yes he has been injured a lot but when he has played he is not that bad. I have seen a lot worse in a city kit. He has not got a killer ball, but doen't seem to give the ball away cheaply unlike our old hero Mr Big Balls Barton
Get rid for some money now while he can walk
I will pay his airfare (business class) from my own pocket if he fancies returning this summer
"When you join a club in Europe, you get attached to it and give everything for it."
More like - "When you join a club in Europe, you get attached to the physio's treatment table and somehow can't seem to get off it."
Get rid now !!!
Why don,t you go home after the world cup finishes and don,t bother coming back ps can you take thatcher and french tony with you
bye....
On another note I see Van Buyten is joining Bayern Munich....we could have had him 2 years ago for 2.5mill!!!!. City are so poor in the transfer market, it is getting beyond a joke. Sorry to be negative but I fear the worst. SP needs to pull at least players out of the hat and I dont think he can as I think he is to busy trying to learn he is letting things pass him by.
I understand everyone's frustration with Reyna spending so much time on the treatment table. And except for the fact that we may not have been able to bring in an effective replacement (remember we still have a lack of quality midfielders), I don't know whether it was right to offer him another year. But until he ends his time with us, he is still one of us, and we should get behind him 100%. It's fine to voice your opinion on whether he or others should go, but the vindictiveness with which too many of you attack your own players both amazes and disappoints me to say the least. I'd like to think that City fans can hold a mature opinion on what they think is best for the team yet still support anyone who dons the sky blue. Think about it.
"When you join a club in Europe, you get attached to it and give everything for it.".
Yeah right.
Maybe we can arrange a whip round to send him back a year early. I'm sure we could afford the flight anyway!
To add a little bit more. A year ago I warned about our problem with contracts coming to an end and the need to replace players sooner rather than later. Here's a list of who I believe are out of contract next year James, Weaver, Thatcher, Reyna, Sibierski, Distin, Barton, Croft, Cole, Sinclair & Flood. As well as a poor performance in the transfer market so far this transfer window, SP is also going to have to either replace or re-sign those players because there is no way the club can continue to compete by losing most of those at the end of their contracts. I also very much doubt that the finances will stretch to paying for replacements. That's great news for the youth coming through but more worrying it may mean players that are not good enough may be re-signed simply to keep the numbers up. I'd like to think SP and the board has this subject at the back of their mind however on current performance they have yet again failed to get organised for this year's bosmans. Before any of you say I'm a doom & gloom merchant I'm afraid the contact issue is a fact.
one thing to look forward to with respect to city then
it was noticeable Reyna never mentioned City and how they have been paitent and generous during his injury prone spell at City,for me he can GO NOW! Oh i look forward to the USA - Czech game where i expect him to limp off at some stage. Its typical of City we always get the CROCS and who do you blame? OUR MANAGER OF COURSE KK FOR SIGNING HIM AND PEARCE FOR GIVING HIM ANOTHER 12 MONTHS CONTRACT.WARDLE? GO WILL YOU AND INVITE Mr BERNSTEIN BACK?????
Blue 1980. We're defending our righto to democratic free speech. Thought you Americans were so big on that that you have it in your constitution! Think about it?
Good call by Claudio but why wait a year - beggar off before the start of next season because we don't want you - you useless under-achieving, lack-lustre chicken.
Blue 1980 expressed a contrary opinion to which
Pravda responded with jingoist name calling ("you americans"). Perfect.
No worries, carry on with your moaning, Pravda. Blue 1980 and the rest of "us americans" give you, and just you, special permission, idiot.
Why wait till next year - go now as teh Moody Blues used to sing.
Careful Pete(Chorlton)you will upset the "happies".
Has everything you are NOT looking for in a modern day midfielder- no pace, can't/doesn't tackle, rarely passes the ball forwards, no killer balls, no energy, no power, no fitness, no goals, no desire. I hope he looks ok in one of the WC games so some mug buys him soon. Going nowhere (except down) with the likes of him in the side Stuart. PS When we recently re-signed a former striker not deemed good enough by KK should it have been PAULO rather than PAUL? I know who I'd rather have in the light blue!!
If we can get 30 games out of him, he can play an important role in the development of our younger players. But let's be honest, we're more likely to get 30 games out of Psycho and Tueart combined.
I thought Reyna retired after the 2002 World Cup? That fella that was nominated as one of the players of the tournament - did he stay in America and send over his gardener to England? I haven't seen anything to justify him staying. If we like injury prone players now, what a horrible shame the fools gave away Paulo Wanchope for a pathetic half a million - the same month that they paid Leeds another half a million instalment on old man Fowler. Is there no way somebody else can be brought onto the board, who has that rare quality amongst our leaders - common sense?
50 games in 3 seasons tells you all need to know about this clown. I cannot understand how some people think he is a decent player. Absolutely anonymous in almost every game towards the end of the season...and the slowest player on the pitch every week. Why doesnt he do everybody a favour and head home after the world cup.
Pravda, where did I say I don't want to hear anyone's opinion? If you actually read my post again you'll see I say it's fine to voice your opinion... meaning of course you have a right to say whatever you want, and I welcome hearing all opinions on any side of any issue. I was only expressing my amazement and disappointment at the viciousness that some supporters attack their OWN players (such as wishing for serious injuries to keep them off the roster a la Sibierski and Thatcher -- which I have read in the past). If you want to see the back of someone then fine, go and say so, but until he is gone we should be behind him all the way.