Weston McKennie opened up about his upbringing and his aspirations at Juventus in an interview: “I played American football when I moved back from Germany to the United States. At some point, a doctor told me that I had the knees of a 30-year-old when I was 11. I could not decide which sport to pursue, but I loved soccer a little more than the alternative. It has been the right decision so far, but I probably would have become a professional in any case.”
The midfielder talked to DAZN and discussed Andrea Pirlo and Massimiliano Allegri: “They are both excellent persons, and I think experience is the main difference. Allegri has been coaching for a long time; he already worked here and was familiar with some players. He knew how things functioned. Pirlo had just retired and was appointed by a team where the pressure is intense, and the expectations are sky-high. He knows how to handle them, as he has done for his entire career, but it is different when you can not really do anything tangible from the sidelines. You could notice he often questioned our technical decisions last season.”
McKennie stated that he is happy at Juventus but is aware things could change quickly: “It was a dream come true to join a great club with such a rich history and so many fans. But football is unpredictable, and it is a business with its ups and downs. If somebody does not contribute properly, replacing him is as easy as signing him. You never know what could happen in the future. Moving to Italy taught me a lot tactically, as it is a real chess game here. My next objective is to score ten goals in a season, and I think I can manage.”