It’s been a rough start to English Premier League life for U.S. international Benny Feilhaber. The 22-year-old midfielder has made just a three appearances off the bench for Derby County since coming over from Hamburg SV in August. “I think that the main reason I haven’t been playing much is because of the style of play in England
[is much different than] anything I’ve been exposed to thus far,” Feilhaber tells Yanks Abroad.
It’s a familiar story in the Premier League, which we know takes getting used to for most players because of its fast pace and physical play. Of course, some players (Chelsea’s Andriy Shevchenko, for example) never seem capable of adapting their game, but in Benny’s case it’s way too soon to tell. His situation is similar to that of compatriot Clint Dempsey at Fulham last year — and just look at Dempsey now: earlier this week, Fulham coach Lawrie Sanchez hailed the American striker as “a revelation.”
Feilhaber says that Derby manager Billy Davies hasn’t forgotten about him: “[Davies] wants to give me the time I need to adapt to everything, and I’m sure he has a plan for me in the near future,” he said.