The longest run by an American in top-flight European soccer continues.
Claudio Reyna, who joined Germany's Bayer Leverkusen in 1994 at age 21, avoided a lower division stint when English Premier League club Manchester City acquired him on a $3.9 million transfer from relegated Sunderland.
After a serious knee injury ended his 2002-03 season last October, Sunderland suffered through an 18-game winless streak and slid to the bottom of the Premier League standings.
Fulham and Everton showed interest in Reyna before Manchester City manager Kevin Keegan came through with the most enticing offer three days before the transfer deadline.
''They're in Europe this year,'' says Reyna. ''They play really good attacking soccer. That's the way Keegan likes playing. There's a lot of good players in the club. Everything about it is exciting, the training ground, the stadium, the whole package.''
Optimism abounds at Manchester City, which finished ninth in the Premier League last season and moved into a new stadium this season. It is competing in this year's UEFA Cup and includes foreign players from 10 nations on its roster.
It has, in its forward corps, Costa Rican ace Paulo Wanchope and Frenchman Nicolas Anelka, who recently declared, ''I know people say Ronaldo is the best player in the world, but I think I'm the best.''
England international Trevor Sinclair mans the left midfield spot and outside midfielder Steve McManaman has arrived from Real Madrid.
''[Reyna] can play right back, right midfield or in the center,'' says Keegan, who coached England in 1999-2000 and was a two-time European Player of the Year.
Reyna played right back during much of his time at Glasgow Rangers in 1999-2001, when he won two Scottish League titles. Rangers, which sold Reyna to Sunderland for $6.8 million, had acquired him from the Bundesliga's VfL Wolfsburg for $2.8 million.
Manchester City, which averaged 42,275 fans per game last season, is Reyna's fifth club as he enters the 10th pro season. No other U.S. product has played as long in Europe without spending time in a second-tier league.
Kasey Keller reached the Premier League after four years with Millwall; Brad Friedel helped Blackburn win promotion to the Premier League; and John Harkes' career in England was split between the top two levels.
''I just turned 30,'' says Reyna, ''and a three-year contract with a club like Manchester City just seems perfect.''
by Soccer America Executive Editor Mike Woitalla