Dempsey, in particular, was a valuable resource as Yedlin braced himself for the various shocks — professional, cultural, vehicular — of moving abroad. Yedlin said Dempsey told him to savor all the details about playing professional soccer in England, even the ones that might seem like challenges.

“He said that in the M.L.S., the fans who get it, get it — but not all the fans really understand the tactics behind the game,” Yedlin said. “Here, it’s more cutthroat: They know everything, and you hear it all the time. It’s more of a job.”

Brad Friedel, the American goalkeeper who has played in England since 1997 and is in his fourth season with Spurs, echoed that sentiment to Yedlin. The scrutiny for soccer players, particularly in London, Friedel said, is like no other microscope in sports.

“When you play great, they talk about it,” Friedel said. “When you play bad, they talk about it louder.”

It is unclear how Yedlin will fit into Spurs’ plans. While he has primarily played right back, Klinsmann used Yedlin as a wing at times during the World Cup, and Spurs Coach Mauricio Pochettino has shown a similar inclination to move players around on the field.

Yedlin said he had not had any direct guidance from Pochettino — his immediate focus has been getting himself back to match fitness after a layoff that followed Seattle’s playoff elimination — but said he would be comfortable playing on the back line or elsewhere.

Image Yedlin, left, with Eden Hazard of Belgium at the World Cup in July. Credit... Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

Spurs sold one of its right backs, Kyle Naughton, to Swansea last week, a move that could make it slightly easier for Yedlin to find playing time. Kyle Walker seems entrenched as the starter at the position in the Premier League, but Tottenham is still alive in the League Cup and the Europa League, so a crowded calendar of games could produce some openings for Yedlin to break in to the team.