Christian McFarlane: could England gain a US-raised star?

DGoing by the years, it is common for US Soccer to track down young English talent who also have an American passport. From Fulham’s Antonee Robinson to Milan’s Yunus Musah, the US has benefited from players being educated on the other side of the Atlantic. But New York City’s Christian McFarlane appears to want to do the opposite, a sign of the growing influence of MLS academies.

The left back was born in England, but moved to New York at the age of three. Over the past 18 months, McFarlane has represented the USMNT and England at youth level, keeping his options open before committing to a particular country. The 17-year-old also has the opportunity to play for Jamaica, but why complicate matters?

“The more he can adapt, the better for him,” said New York City FC II head coach Matt Pilkington. “He did well when he got those opportunities. To play for any national team is a special opportunity, but to play for such a high caliber team with top talent, I think he really embraced the challenge, stepped up and did well. Different environments can create different talents and there is something that he is quite strong at and that the national team likes. We are very proud of his achievements so far and hopefully he can keep pushing.”

The teenager is yet to feature in the MLS, but he was selected in the first-team squad four times last season, although he has yet to take the field in a competitive match. NYC FC only has one senior left back, Kevin O’Toole, meaning if something were to happen to him, McFarlane could be next in line.

Born in Basildon, Essex, when his mother worked for Goldman Sachs in London, McFarlane left England when his family moved to New York. He lived in Queens and Long Island and was spotted by the NYC FC academy at the age of 11 and signed for them. Three years later, his potential was so great that he was signed for the first team, becoming the third-youngest player in the world. MLS history to sign such a deal – NYC FC broke their own record a year later by signing Máximo Carrizo to a full-time contract on his 14th birthday.

McFarlane’s accent is more Studio 54 than China Whites, but he has shown his openness to playing for England by scoring in a recent Under-17 international against Hungary. In fact, he’s not the only MLS teenager in England, with New England Revolution midfielder Noel Buck representing the Under-19s. Like McFarlane, Buck is likely to be a target for Premier League clubs during the summer transfer window.

McFarlane was originally a winger, but City were keen to test him in a number of different positions. He learned the roles up and down the left side, and also as a centre-back, before the club settled on full-back. The bad thing about McFarlane is that he is dynamic, fast and good in one-on-one situations. As a youngster he regularly played above his age group and represented the Under-17s as a 14-year-old in an attempt to accelerate his development.

“He had a lot of playing experience [in older age groups] and handled it very well,” says Pilkington. “We often measure talent by how well they adapt to the intensity and speed of the game, and he was able to do that quite well and has a very good physical profile which also allowed him to play well. It was all part of his journey. As a relatively young player, he plays and trains against people who are much older than him.”

The feeling at NYC FC is that McFarlane will eventually end up across the Atlantic at Manchester City. There has been interest from Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich, but once City Football Group (CFG) have such a talent in their midst, they are unlikely to relinquish their hold. CFG own numerous clubs where the teenager can gain experience – perhaps Girona in La Liga if the coveted Miguel Gutiérrez leaves this summer – or go somewhere outside their pedigree.

Academies in the US are becoming targets for European clubs as they recognize the increased level of professionalism they have brought to North America – CFG has completed a deal for 14-year-old Cavan Sullivan to move to Manchester from the Philadelphia Union academy once he turns 18.

Since its implementation in 2015, New York City’s academy has produced a number of first-team players, including James Sands, who recently made his 100th appearance for the club. USMNT’s Gio Reyna spent time at the club as a teenager before moving to Borussia Dortmund. Alphonso Davies is perhaps the most successful graduate an MLS academy has produced to date. He rose through the ranks at Vancouver before moving to Bayern Munich in 2018 – and will soon start on the way to Real Madrid.

“I think the academies in the US and American football in general have made tremendous progress in the last decade,” Pilkington said. “Because they mandated academies within the MLS clubs and increased the level of competition and professionalization – not only at the professional academies, but also at other high-level youth academies. Considering the demographics of the US, the landscape is so vast that they have opened it up to top level clubs. US Soccer has created this academy system and really developed this level of coaching, professionalism and the day-to-day environment in which players can train and really improve players’ ability to compete.

“We see players coming from the American system to Europe, and it has continued to evolve. Look at the US national team, there is a lot of young talent and the majority ply their trade in Europe, but grew up in American academies and American systems.”

NYC FC is helped by the fact that they are owned by CFG, which gives their academy a Premier League-like structure. Global staff ensure smooth operations and bring expertise from Manchester City, whose youth set-up is one of the most enviable in the world. The New York City age teams have traveled to England to assist with their development and where coaches can share knowledge.

McFarlane is next in line for New York City, and the assembly line shows no signs of slowing down.