A sprinkling of survivors from Bruce Arena’s first stint as national team steward continue to ply their trade in the autumn of their careers.

But while the likes of Landon Donovan, Clint Dempsey and Tim Howard can testify to Arena’s credentials, the returning USA boss will be presiding over a whole new generation for his second coming in the dug-out.

For those young hopefuls bidding to secure a place in Arena’s plans – such as former Under-20 skipper Emerson Hyndman – they hadn’t even entered their teenage years when the ex-LA Galaxy boss last took charge of USA at the 2006 World Cup.

“I don’t know Bruce personally, although I hope to get to know him pretty soon!” Hyndman said.

Ahead of this journey into unknown waters, there may have been some trepidation among European-based players that they would be shunted aside in favour of those on home soil in the MLS.

While Jürgen Klinsmann was a strong proponent of his charges gaining experience on the other side of the Atlantic, previous comments from Arena had suggested that he favoured options in America. It’s a debate which Arena has already put to bed.

“It could be 11 players playing overseas, or it could be 11 players in Major League Soccer,” the new coach said last month. “Where they’re playing their club soccer is not that important.”

It’s a typically sensible, pragmatic step from Arena, with a handful of exuberant, youthful prospects such as Hyndman, Lynden Gooch and Cameron Carter-Vickers now emerging into the limelight at Premier League clubs.

Hyndman, the grandson of ex-FC Dallas manager Schellas Hyndman, joined that elite group during the summer when he moved to Bournemouth after reaching the end of his contract at Championship club Fulham.

The likes of Celtic, AC Milan and Borussia Dortmund were all linked with the 20-year-old, yet he opted to join last season’s Premier League surprise package Bournemouth, who scotched fears of being relegation fodder by finishing comfortably above the drop zone.

Under the guidance of highly-rated manager Eddie Howe, Bournemouth look on course to again secure their top flight status, with the stability and clear direction of the club evidently appealing to Hyndman.

“There were a few clubs in the mix and stuff, but the manager here really explained what he wanted to do, both with Bournemouth and with me,” he said. “He’s developed players from the lower leagues to the Premier League, which is a huge achievement, so I knew he was well respected for that.

“[Howe] has an agenda and he’s looking forward to developing players right now, and I want to be a part of that.”

Howe – at 39 already mooted as a possible long-term successor to Arsène Wenger at Arsenal – made a strong impression on Hyndman from the off.

Their first meeting was a brief one, but Howe’s sales pitch was socomprehensive that Hyndman didn’t even bother speaking directly with other suitors.

“It was just a casual meeting and it was actually very brief. There was nothing too detailed – just his plans for me and for the team,” Hyndman said. “You can obviously tell he’s an intelligent guy and he’s really passionate about working with players and getting to know them.

“He said he knows what I can and can’t do, and what I need to do to get better. To hear a coach say that, shows that he really cares about what he’s doing, and about the players as well.”

Emerson Hyndman in action for Fulham against Cardiff in April. Photograph: Leicester/BPI/REX/Shutterstock

Howe’s plan for Hyndman was to gradually ease his way into first-team action at Bournemouth after the midfielder had been limited to just 18 starts in the Championship, following his emergence through Fulham’s academy system.

So far, that has proved to be an accurate forecast, with Hyndman yet to make his Premier League debut, although he has appeared in a couple of EFL Cup outings.

Inevitably, that prompts youthful impatience about wanting to be in the thick of the action, but the time waiting in the wings is being used prudently.

“I had an unfortunate injury in pre-season which didn’t help my chances of impressing immediately,” he said. “But the manager told me that I might need a bit of time, which is OK. He doesn’t want any transition process when I do go into the side.

“Obviously, I’m just working to improve every day on everything I can, whether it’s on the pitch like receiving a ball or off the pitch in getting bigger. I’m fine height-wise, but obviously I could bulk up a little bit. I’m working hard on that and the more I’m in the gym, the more I’m going to be set up.

“It’s a different challenge really because I was always small for my age when I was younger, so I never thought about it. I’ve played with bigger guys all my life.

“But over the years, you realise that if you add another part to your game – whether it’s physical or your first touch – it can take you to a new level.”

Even experiencing the razzamatazz of the Premier League from the stands is helping the Texan, in grasping the enormity of the stage he’s on and the baggage which comes with that.

“I travelled to Stoke away and it was so different to what I’d experienced before,” he said. “In the Championship, there’s hostile grounds and hard atmospheres to play in, but the crowds aren’t that big.

“But going to Stoke was different in just watching the game and listening to the fans. Everyone follows the league, everyone cares about it.”

Hyndman is sufficiently grounded to realise that he needs to force his way into the Bournemouth line-up before he can begin to catch Arena’s eye.

Although he remains thankful to Klinsmann for fast-tracking him into the senior set-up aged just 18 and handing him an international debut in a 2014 friendly in the Czech Republic, he realises time is on his side to return to the USA set-up.

“We’ve seen guys like Lynden Gooch have good success this season by playing a bit and he’s fully deserved to go on from there,” he said. “I hope to get a break pretty soon, and obviously I want to be part of this US team as quickly as possible.

“Obviously, Jurgen gave me my debut and my opportunity when I was 18 after I’d only played four or five games professionally. I give a lot of credit to him for putting me out there at such a young age and taking me to a few camps.

“I was thrilled, particularly when he put me on during a rough game in Prague. I got 25 minutes or so, and I still savour that feeling.”