Erik Ten Hag has not been shy in raiding his former clubs for talent during his time in charge of Manchester United and he could be ready to repeat this trick when it comes to one USMNT midfielder.
The Dutch boss demonstrated partiality for linking up with players he has worked with before when he swooped for Ajax pair Antony and Lisandro Martinez last summer. While he has never managed FC Utrecht's Taylor Booth before, it would not be a major surprise to see him raid the team he coached between 2015 and 2017.
Having rejected the chance to sign a new contract at Bayern Munich, Booth sought to find first team exposure elsewhere with a move to Utrecht. The 22-year-old's wisdom was proven to be wise, as he impressed during something of a breakout season for the Eredivisie team, making 28 appearances in all competitions, while notching a couple of strikes along the way.
The Utar born star, who has been capped twice by his national team, had originally been brought to Europe after scouts from the Bavarian giants spotted the starlet playing at the Real Salt Lake's academy. However, after three years with the Bundesliga giants, he found first team chances hard to come by, making one solitary performance in a 12-0 cup win over lower league side Bremer.
Now, his showings for his current employers have not gone unnoticed, with Manchester United's admiration for the American ace also shared by the likes of Celta Vigo, Stuttgart and Lyon, as per the Daily Mail. In the case of Vigo, they could well wait to see if the highly rated CONCACAF Nations League is snapped up before launching a charm offensive for his services.
The skilful attacking midfielder would tick a lot of boxes for many sides due to his technical prowess as well as his enviable engine, with these qualities earmarking him as a good fit for a team that plays with a high press. On top of his application, his ability to come deep and show for the ball is a trait which will prove attractive to potential suitors.
The emerging talent does remain humble, in spite of the interest that is being shown in him of late and he previously spoke about his career ambitions during last season. He explained: "I'm flattered if the national teams of USA or Italy think about me or clubs in the Premier League, La Liga or Serie A. Since I was a little boy playing soccer in the basement of our home in Eden, I've always said you can't dream big enough."
In spite of the USMNT international's whirlwind rise in the past year — culminating in his debut for his country against Grenada in the Old Trafford in March — his burgeoning success was never a formality, however. As a baby, he suffered from torticollis or 'flopping neck' for five months and required therapy for the issue.
His mother previously told Deseret News about how the condition affected her son. She said: "I remember saying, 'I hope he's healthy'. So he's gone from needing physical therapy as a baby to being on the US National Teams and he thinks it's normal. What he doesn't realise is that there was a time when I just thought, 'I hope his lungs work and his brain works'."
To further extend the connections with Ten Hag, it is worth noting that the current Old Trafford manager served as head coach of Bayern's second string from 2013 to 2015 before his move to Utrecht. In this sense, the 53-year-old's managerial career has taken an identical route to that of Booth. Perhaps, this all suggests that the pair's similar history will decree that the duo could become kindred spirits in Manchester.
