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Matt Turner reflects on the rise of ‘wild crazy bananas’ in the USMNT World Cup… with the Arsenal goalkeeper only starting playing football when he was 16 – just 12 years ago!
Matt Turner’s sudden rise from playing soccer for the first time at age 16 to number one goalkeeper for the US men’s national team at the World Cup is inspiring – if not downright astonishing.
The Arsenal goalkeeper was just a third-string goalkeeper at the New England Revolution in the 2019 season, but worked his way back to the totem pole.
That led to his move to the Gunners in the summer and saw him gain more experience with the USMNT under Gregg Berhalter.
Turner said he’s taken the time to sit there in awe of his progress and his journey, hoping it might inspire others.
Arsenal keeper Matt Turner is the clear number one keeper going into the World Cup in Qatar
Matt Turner has come a long way since he first kicked a football at the age of 16
“I think I’ve done a lot of that thinking already. I know it’s unlikely, but I know once you step onto that field no one cares if you didn’t start playing until you were 16.
They don’t care, they just want results. So I did my reflection. It’s crazy, bananas even. You know, it’s stuff that you wouldn’t even think about writing about because it would be like ‘oh, that’s not even right, that’s not real’. So it’s a pretty wild story compared to the people I share a locker room with every day and their upbringing during the game. So it’s a unicorn.
“No, it’s cool, I just hope that one day it will show someone whether they are doubting whether or not they will play the sport or think it’s too late to do anything – whether it’s sports or in their personal lives, whatever – that they can still achieve it.’
The USMNT opens their World Cup against Wales on November 21.
How far can Turner help the Americans as the US is about to play Wales in their opener?