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The tradition of U.S. men’s national team players suiting up for Rangers continues.
Malik Tillman, who recently changed international allegiances from Germany to the U.S., is leaving Bayern Munich on loan to Rangers, which has an “exclusive option” to make the deal permanent, the Scottish power announced on Friday. It’s a season-long loan for the 20-year-old attacking midfielder, who would have found first-team minutes hard to come by at Bayern and is seeking more regular playing time.
"He is an exciting young talent who will further add to our attacking options and myself and the coaching staff are looking forward to working with him,” manager Giovanni van Bronckhorst said in a statement.
At Rangers, Tillman will team with U.S. international James Sands. The list of U.S. players who have featured for the club is long and includes the likes of Claudio Reyna, DaMarcus Beasley, Carlos Bocanegra, Maurice Edu and Alejandro Bedoya.
“We are pleased that amongst his many options Malik has chosen to become a Rangers player,” Rangers sporting director Ross Wilson said. “He’s a talented young man, one that we have been working on for a number of weeks. Not only are we pleased to welcome Malik for the season ahead we have also secured an exclusive option to buy with Bayern Munich.”
Tillman appeared twice for the U.S. in June after receiving clearance from FIFA following his one-time switch, coming off the bench in a friendly vs. Morocco and in a Concacaf Nations League match vs. Grenada. There could be Champions League matches in his future as well, with Rangers in the qualifying rounds of the competition. Tillman briefly appeared in two Champions League group games with Bayern last season, during which he featured more regularly for Bayern’s reserve side.
“I am really excited to sign for Rangers and I’m looking forward to getting started,” Tillman said. “It is a new challenge for me at a huge club with fantastic supporters and I can’t wait for the season ahead.”
Tillman isn’t the only U.S. player going on loan Friday, either, with Auston Trusty being sent from Arsenal to Birmingham City for the season. It was always the plan for Trusty, who signed with Arsenal from the Colorado Rapids on transfer deadline day last winter, to go on loan for his first season abroad, and he’ll do so a tier below his parent club. He has remained in Colorado on loan with the Rapids and started 16 games in the 2022 MLS season.
