Juventus boss praises USMNT star Weston McKennie for his versatility: "Top players can play anywhere"

Juventus Football Shirts achieved a strong result on Tuesday in the Champions League play-off phase with a 2:1 victory over PSV Eindhoven. A big reason for that was American Weston McKennie, who once again proved his worth by becoming only the fifth US international to score in the Champions League knockout stages.
After seemingly ending up on the bench every season at Juventus, he has consistently managed to prove his worth and be a key contributor. Since being linked with a move away from Torino in the summer, McKennie has become one of the first names on the team sheet with his versatility, work rate and timely goal contributions, so much so that his manager Thiago Motta spoke highly of the Texan-born player.

"When people ask me if a player can play out wide, centre or other roles, they might not understand why, but to be honest I don't care. What I do know is that Weston is a top player who can play anywhere and needs to be on the pitch. At the moment it's difficult for me to take him out of the starting eleven because he deserves to play," said Motta after Juventus' win over McKennie. "Maybe goalkeepers are different. We have three great goalkeepers and it's a different situation, but in other positions it's difficult to keep him on the bench. He proves his worth whether he plays as a full-back, midfielder or winger. That's what it means to be a top player. Top players can play anywhere."

As a former midfielder for the Juventus jerseys Motta knows a lot about becoming a top player. It's one thing to be strong in your specific position, but McKennie has managed to go beyond midfield and develop as a player over the course of his career. Other clubs have benefited from players who offer such versatility. Federico Valverde of Real Madrid is the best example. While McKennie still has a long way to go to reach that level, his invaluable presence makes Motta's task of trying to return the club to its glory days at continental level easier.
While there have been many ups and downs as McKennie has had to prove himself to each new coach at Juventus, he has managed to do so while becoming a regular in European football. With so few Americans playing regularly in the top leagues, this is not a given. McKennie has spoken about how he likes to prove doubters wrong, and with every kick he does just that.