DeAndre Yedlin has enjoyed a remarkable rise with the US national team, going from impact sub to regular starter in the space of two years.
The 22-year-old cited his Sunderland manager, Sam Allardyce, as the reason for much of his develpoment, crediting the veteran coach with "making something click'' in him and spurring him to become a better defender as he helped the Black Cats ensure their survival in the Premier League this past season.
"I have to give a lot of credit to Big Sam, the manager,'' Yedlin told Chronicle Live when asked about his emergence as an important player in Sunderland's successful bid to stay in England's top flight. "I don't know what it was, but he made something click in my head. Maybe it's his defensive approach to playing.''
Yedlin, the former Seattle Sounders FC right back who is playing for the USMNT in Copa America Centenario, was loaned by Tottenham Hotspur to Sunderland for the 2015-16 season. His playing time was early in the season was spotty, but he came on and eventually gained Allardyce's trust to become the starting right back.
While Yedlin said he "hated'' some of the drills Allardyce put him and the team through, he credited those drills with making him a better player and helping Sunderland fight off relegation to stay in the Premier League.
"Every Thursday, every defender would do strictly defensive drills, no attacking at all,'' Yedlin said. "And you could see, towards the end of the season, the last 11, 12 games, we became a lot stronger as a defensive unit.''
