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Once one of the relatively forgotten members of Everton’s youth setup, 20 year old left-back Antonee Robinson is slowly but surely making a name for himself. Robinson has made 9 appearances this season, registering an assist in 647 minutes.
Currently on a half-year loan (he returns to Finch Farm in January of 2018) at Bolton Wanderers, Robinson is eligible for both the Three Lions of England, as well as the United States’ national team.
According to a recent article from Brian Sciaretta, Robinson is angling for a place in the American setup.
Of course, Robinson is also adamant on returning to international soccer and hopes to be part of the future plans for the United States.
As Sciaretta notes, Robinson has played with the USA at the youth level before. Unfortunately, his progress with the national team was derailed due to a devastating knee injury.
It was surreal because I was training with them (Everton) and then they took me on tour with them. I was treated like a real professional. It was a really great experience. I knew all the players and I was training with them as if it was normal. They were all a lot less intimidating than I thought they would be.
But I got a serious knee injury and I was out for the whole season. At the time I was really scared. I knew I was going to be out for a long time. I only had one year left on my contract and I knew I would miss the rest of the season. I didn't know if another team was going to give me a chance. It was frightening but I worked hard to get back fit. The youth team manager just looked at me and said that we'll give you another year to prove yourself. I did well the following year.
My Dad always told me that any injury you get will test your mentality, and if you get through it you'll be a better player for it.
The full American Soccer Now article is worth the read. In the meantime, Everton will need a long-term replacement for Leighton Baines sooner rather than later, and the manager-less United States could use any left back at all. Is that Antonee Robinson’s music?