News broke late Monday night that Arsenal midfielder Gedion Zelalem is now a U.S. citizen. Steve Goff broke it down for the Washington Post, explaining the nitty gritty details of how the youngster, who moved here when he was nine years old, qualifies.

The hysteria over this particular 17-year-old player is understandable to an extent; after all, whenever a U.S. player has ties to a big club over in Europe, fans become doe-eyed with expectations, assuming that this addition will be the next domino to fall on the way to the U.S. national team’s ascension into the world’s elite.

U.S. Soccer president Sunil Gulati confirmed Tuesday morning that his next stop is likely the U.S. national team, opening the door for him to play for either the U.S. U20s at next summer’s World Cup or the full national team prior to that.

Gedion Zelalem is now a U.S. citizen. At his request we have started the FIFA process which would allow him to be eligible for the #USMNT. — Sunil Gulati (@sunilgulati) December 30, 2014

So what kind of a player is Zelalem?



A quote in a Guardian story from January by his youth coach, Matthew Pilkington, when Zelalem played at Olney Rangers sets the bar incredibly high:

“He dribbles like Iniesta and he passes like Xavi,” Pilkington said. “I’ve thought like that for the past few years but I’ve been wary about saying it. I don’t worry now.”

He’s someone I first saw back in the spring of 2011 at Jefferson Cup. Zelalem stood out that day for more than one reason. The first was obvious, as Arsenal scout Danny Karbasiyoon was in attendance, and had brought Zelalem down from the D.C. Metro Area to guest play for the Richmond Strikers, who had an affiliation with Arsenal at the time. It was a chance to get more scouts from the club to see him and offer the opinion.

Even if that hadn’t been the case, the slight Ethiopian stood out in the game I watched. His passing was precise, and he always seemed to think one or two more moves ahead of the other players on the field. He was also a lot smaller than most of the other kids on the field, though I can’t recall if there was a significant age gap (he was 14 at the time). Bottom line: on a day where I saw a lot of mindless running by a number of youth soccer players, his movement appeared to have purpose and an understanding that is easy to recall a few year.

When he officially moved to Arsenal in January 2013 and enjoyed success on last year’s tour to Southeast Asia, it continued to pique my interest. After all he was a 16-year-old prospect, one of dozens at a big European club like Arsenal.

Since then, his stock has ticked up considerably under the close watch of Arsene Wenger and Arsenal fans alike; you can see a number of highlight reels that permeate YouTube to get a better idea of what he can do.

It’s important to remember that his Arsenal career is still in its infancy. At just 17, even dubbed the next Cesc Fabregas (or Xavi, Iniesta), he’s far from a regular from the first team. And while he’s scored fantastic goals like the one below in U19 Champions League play, expectations must be tempered.

Goals like that aren’t really his forte, of course. He serves best more as a midfield metronome, a deep-lying playmaker who can unlock defenses with a deft flick, touch or pass. The idea of seeing him in a USMNT shirt is something to be excited about, as he’s a fun player to watch.

So as his star continues to rise, should Zelalem turn Pilkington’s words into prophecy and establish himself as a consistent and outstanding pro, then it’s a great development for the U.S. national team. But with his citizenship now secure, the best thing U.S. fans can do is to let him breathe, to become a regular at Arsenal as he’ll pull on the U.S. jersey sooner, rather than later, it would appear.