Established and experienced, DeAndre Yedlin looking to help lead young Inter Miami in 2022
The U.S. Men's National Team right back was formally introduced as the South Florida side's newest star player on Thursday afternoon
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — DeAndre Yedlin sat a roundtable quietly by himself.
It was May 2014 and the U.S. men’s national team was holding a high-profile media availability at the ritzy Marriott Marquis in Times Square. All 23 Americans who made up the roster for the looming World Cup were available for sit-down interviews, but fledgling youngster and unknown commodity Yedlin was largely left alone.
Fast forward to present day and things could not be any more different.
Far from the neophyte he was eight years ago, Yedlin was formally presented as Inter Miami’s newest star player on Thursday. He was greeted by nearly a dozen inquisitive members of the press, both physically and virtually, to discuss the newest chapter in a now-established career that has seen him play at the highest levels at the club and international stages.
“I think the biggest thing that I have improved in is mentally just becoming stronger,” said Yedlin of how he has improved from those early days as a professional. “I think that comes with anybody that gains experience. … I have seen — I do not want to say all there is to see — a lot more than I did back in 2014 so my comfort zone has been able to spread out more and I am more comfortable in a lot of different situations now.”
Inter Miami is counting on the 28-year-old right back to bring all that experience and more. Yes, Yedlin is instantly one of the more seasoned players on a revamped roster that is littered with prospects and promise, but his arrival after spending the past seven years in Europe helps fill a position of need.
Right back has been a revolving door of sorts since the team’s first season in 2020, and was one spot that had not been addressed during the past offseason. However, Inter Miami sporting director Chris Henderson — who helped sign Yedlin to his first pro contract with the Seattle Sounders back in 2013 — and his front office set the wheels in motion for Yedlin’s return to MLS when they inquired about bringing over the speedy defender in early January.
“He is a U.S. men’s national team player that represents some particular qualities that we have been looking for,” said Inter Miami assistant coach Jason Kreis. “We want our fullbacks, our wingbacks — whichever system we are playing — to be involved in the attack. We want those guys to be sending in crosses. We want them to be in the box to score goals.
“He has the type of volume and ability (and) aerobic capacity to be in and around those things. We think it is going to be a really important piece for us from a tactical point of view.”
Of course, it is hard to talk about Yedlin’s skill set without having the defensive side of his game come up. While the American has widely been praised by pundits throughout his career for his ability to bomb forward and get involved in the attack, he has also regularly been criticized for mistakes at the back.
Yedlin admitted on Thursday that the defensive side of his game has not always been a strength, but added that he believes he has improved in that aspect after playing in the intense English Premier League and more than 70 times for the United States.
“Defending is one of those things that with experience you can only get better and better and better and better,” said Yedlin. “For me, that was kind of always my talking point when people asked me about defending. The more and more I do it, the better I am going to get.
“I know when I was (last) in MLS it was a weakness in my game, not only 1-v-1 but positionally. Now I think I am coming back being in a lot of different situations, playing a lot of different formations, playing different positions to the point now where I am a lot more comfortable in those situations.”
If Yedlin can help keep things tight at the back at Inter Miami this season while providing some contributions in the attacking third, his chances of being named to a second World Cup roster at the end of the year will raise. That assumes the U.S. will qualify for the November tournament in Qatar, but the Americans are currently in position to do so.
Yedlin will, of course, have to impress at Inter Miami in order to make the cut again internationally, but should he do just that then it is likely that his next U.S. media roundtable is busier than the last.
“With the national team and with this team, I will play similar roles as far as being a leader and being one of the older guys on the team and leading a group of younger players,” said Yedlin. “It is just really continuing what I have been doing.”