With 25 caps for his national team, Stuart Holden was part of the famous 2010 USMNT squad who tied 1-1 with England at the World Cup 11 years ago. His career was cut short at the age of 30 due to injury, but the former Houston Dynamo midfielder is making waves as a successful pundit on Fox TV.
Speaking exclusively to BonusFinder, Holden discussed Premier League-linked Weston McKennie, MLS hotshot Ricardo Pepi, David Beckham’s struggling Inter Miami and much more.
Tell us a bit about your time in the UK- did you enjoy the spell at Bolton Wanderers in the Premier League? Any notable memories from the UK?
Growing up I always wanted to play in the Premier League, it was a dream of mine and finally getting the chance and the opportunity to play in the Premier League with a team like Bolton was great for me.
It’s a club that had so much history and really the couple of seasons that we had we were competing towards the top of the Premier League.
I think in March of 2010 we were fifth place when I picked up my first injury so I had a lot of unfortunate injuries throughout my career but was still able to play a number of games and compete with some of the biggest stars and the biggest teams in the world.
I truly believe the Premier League the best league in the world from an intensity standpoint, the stadium, the fans, the excitement level and knowing that every game whether it was against the top 6, or against a team fighting for relegation was going to be a different type of challenge.
As an American, having that opportunity to play in those types of games, it’s something that I truly cherish and look back at and watch my highlights endlessly and try to brag to my kids that I was actually a good player back in the day.
I’m actually looking forward to taking my daughter to her first premier league game in the New Year so getting over there and watching a match and showing her just the fandom and the support and a culture which truly sees football as a religion.
Do you have any notable memories or highlights from when you were playing in the Premier League?
I mean playing in the Premier League, playing for Bolton, playing against your biggest rival in Blackburn and I’ll never forget the derby day when we were up a goal and Blackburn equalised late.
We were down a man and probably my greatest ever footballing memory and moment, scoring the winning goal in the 89th minute off of a big Kevin Davies flick on and smashing it in the back of the net.
Just that feeling that rush and blacking out and the fans going crazy and knowing what that meant for all of those supporters but also for me and my family.
It’s a goal which has bought me many free drinks throughout Bolton pubs over the years and I’m looking forward to getting back and claiming a few more of those freebies that have been promised to me.
Those are the best memories and I grew up, which Bolton fans don’t love, a Man United fan and playing against Paul Scholes, David Beckham and Ryan Giggs was amazing.
I remember walking out at Old Trafford and standing in the tunnel looking at Giggs and thinking man I used to idolise you but as soon as we cross that white line, I’m going to be looking to smash you and win this game.
Those are the types of memories that are gonna stick with me and I feel very fortunate to have.
Christian Pulisic isn’t quite a Chelsea regular and hasn’t been since joining the club- do you think he’d benefit from moving on?
I think Christian Pulisic is in the right place at Chelsea, he has a coach that has a history with from Borussia Dortmand and Thomas Tuchel.
He’s been incredibly unfortunate with some of the injuries, especially the one recently that he picked up an ankle injury and I know it goes along with the narrative of a guy that has a struggle with injuries.
It’s been muscles, its been hamstrings, and little pulls in his calves and just could never really seem to get fully going but I think that Chelsea have seen and Thomas Tuchel have seen that he when fit and healthy if they can manage his body and get him to a point where he gets past this little run of knocks and muscle tweaks that he is one of the best attacking players in the Premier League.
He’s a guy that can score goals, that can assist, and we talk a lot about his ability to be able to play different spots on the field so as a right winger, really good running at guys and getting crosses in the box.
As a left winger coming inside and combining but then also scoring goals and finishing and we’ve seen him play recently as a false nine and dropping into the pocket and playing with back to goal.
My hope and I think all American soccer fans and Chelsea fans included hope that heading into the end of 2021 and into 2022, which will be a World Cup year potentially for the United States, that he can have a run of good form and stay healthy.
I hope he can stay fit because we all know his ability and Chelsea is the right place for him, he’s competing for places which never allows you to feel too comfortable yet you’re part of a good team that can win trophies and building confidence and really seeing his improvement as a player over the last couple of years.
I’m excited for him to have a clean bill of health because I truly believe he is the best attacking player that we’ve ever seen as Americans.
Ricardo Pepi is the latest teenage sensation to come out of MLS. He recently stated in an interview that his dream is to play for Real Madrid. Does Pepi have the potential to play for such a big club?
I think he has the talent and the skill set as far as physically, he has a great stature, his back to goal type play and using that is one of the parts of his game that we’ve really seen develop over the last couple of years.
I think he has the potential; I think that if that was the move right now to Real Madrid, then it wouldn’t be the right move and obviously I don’t think that is being rumoured as a real possibility.
But as far as where he could potentially go, absolutely, I mean we’ve seen his rapid rise in major league soccer this year, the amount of goals he’s scored for FC Dallas, but also with the National team on a big stage and the reason that I also think he can really reach high levels is he has a great mentality.
You can see that this is a guy that’s not afraid of the moment, that enjoys pressure, that thrives under pressure and in and around the box he is a lethal finisher.
If he can add different parts to his game and say in a couple of years if he develops to a big club, it’ll be because he’s had some serious impact and is scoring some goals.
He could be up there with the best strikers we’ve seen in this country if he realises his potential.
He’s a very young player with potential to be a top striker, but his development is very important. I think at times we put so much pressure on these young players by putting unrealistic expectations on them, he is a player that can reach the top level- but needs time and to be an environment that can continue to sharpen his tools and give him games and experience.
Does that show the confidence he has in himself and his ability?
I love a guy that sets high standards for himself, has high expectations and has big dreams because ultimately that’s how you need to be throughout your career.
You can see that with a guy like Ricardo Pepi, he clearly sets those types of goals and does what he needs to do to achieve them.
Holding himself accountable and having those types of dreams and working hard and doing all the things he needs to do and listening to coaches and teammates and pushing himself where he needs to be.
I think he can achieve the level that he knows he can achieve, and we can see it in his ability in his first couple of seasons here in major league soccer.
Weston McKennie is linked to Tottenham Hotspur, is he the next USMNT to play for a top-six Premier League club, or is another American in line for that move?
I’ve always thought with Weston McKennie that he has the skills set and the physical profile to play in the Premier League.
Having played in the Premier League myself, and understanding the physical rigours, the day-to-day type of grind and what it takes at that type of pace and power, Weston McKennie has that for sure.
He has great skill sets as well on the ball, his timing of his runs is very good and he’s a really a true box to box midfielder and I can see him playing in a Premier League team like Tottenham.
I saw that he was also linked with a team like West Ham in the way that they work, and this is a guy that has an incredible rise over the last couple of years.
He made the mood to Schalke at a young age, worked his way into the first team, was part of a Schalke team that played a high tempo, high press, in your face type style and he thrived in that.
He’s gone onto Juventus, and you’ve seen now the tactical part of his game grow and understanding formations and positions to fit in as part of a team and not just playing as an individual.
You saw that often at Schalke, so that’s why I feel that Weston McKennie is ready and will be the next in line to make that jump to the Premier League.
I think he would have significant success in the Premier League and again I think that a lot of what makes him successful are tools that I think in the Premier League would serve him really well.
I would love to see him in that environment, and I guarantee he’d be a success.
Sergi?o Dest has a new manager in Xavi; how does this change in manager affect him when it comes to the USMNT? Is Xavi someone that can allow Dest to grow?
Sergino Dest is a player that is very flexible in the way that he can play, he can adapt to any type of system or formation, and I think that’s the benefit of having a guy that came through the Ajax academy.
He’s a guy that has played as a right wing back but also as a midfielder, so he’s very comfortable on the ball.
One of the greatest things that I think he’s developed is the understanding of tactics, systems, changing positions and different roles.
That’s why at Barcelona; we’ve seen him as a right back, we’ve seen him as a left back, we’ve seen him as a right winger, and we’ve seen him as a left winger.
I think having that type of flexibility and being able to be good in different types of roles is vital for him, flexibility is very important, and I think Xavi will find a way to maximise that.
I know they brought back Danny Alves and one of the first things he said is that Sergino Dest can be a world class player and to have veterans like that will help you learn and grow as well as a coach that has been in Barcelona and understands what it takes to be successful there.
Sergino Dest now will have all of that and if he can take that on and maintain a high-level of consistency, he could be one of the best fullbacks in the world.
David Beckham wrapped up another disappointing season as Inter Miami co-owner. What’s gone wrong under his tenure, and can he turn the club into an MLS Cup contender?
Inter Miami has done a lot wrong in the early stages of their existence in Major League Soccer and I think when they came in a lot of the challenges they had were out of their control as far as the stadium.
Then with the pandemic coming in and impacting their launch, we were due to do their first match in March of 2020 and everything shut down, so you lose a little bit of that momentum.
But I think what we’ve seen is that they’ve made a couple of the wrong hires straight out of the bat that affected the club culture and then the Roster bailed off the beginning didn’t set them off for success.
It’s always difficult coming in, they’ve spent money, but in the wrong places and I think now you’ve seen this last year they’re starting to make positive changes.
They brought in a guy like Chris Henderson who has a lot of experience in this league both as a player and on the sporting side.
I think Phil Neville did a lot of things right in his first year, the team had a lot of struggles, but it wasn’t his roster.
I think we’ll see more of what Inter Miami are going to be and want to be in this next season there and their second season under Phil Neville.
I expect a huge overhaul of the roster this coming season and they will bring in some new players and really it feels like a big year for Inter Miami to start to turn some of that perception.
When you mention their name, you think of the stuff that they haven’t done right as opposed to the stuff that they have done right off the field and on the field and certainly it’s a club that we’re all very excited about where they can go.
It’s really making sure now that the big steps are done right, and they can get a solid roster that they can build on and be a team that competes in the play offs next year.
Where do you place Damir Kreilach in the hierarchy of most impactful players in all of MLS? Does he have a case for Best XI?
Damir Kreilach from my perspective should be in the best XI of major league soccer, he’s put together a career year high.
Without Damir Kreilach over the past couple of years, Salt Lake would not be the team that they are and I think sometimes small market teams, there’s always this feeling of we don’t get the recognition we deserve.
Salt Lake is a small market compared to LA, New York and Chicago and those types of places.
I think Damir Kreilach is a perfect example of that, of a guy that assists, that scores goals, that’s not your traditional number nine.
He’s got a big physique, he’s over six foot, he can play with his back to goal but also really good with his feet and creating chances and scoring and assisting teammates.
He’s been one of the best players in this league this season, I voted for him in my best XI.
What is your assessment of Pablo Mastroeni’s coaching job as interim, should he get the job permanently?
Pablo Mastroeni is a player and a coach who has had a lot of success in Major League Soccer and with the US national team.
As a coach, he led Colorado on a deep run into the playoffs and has been an assisting coach the last couple of years but has made it very clear that when he came and took over the full interim head coach tag with Salt Lake when Freddie Juarez left, he said I want this job.
He’s made a case, the best case you can make is by coming and getting his team into the playoffs, and what a turnaround it has been for Salt Lake.
He’s made tactical changes but then also recognising that you have to get the buy-in from the players, changing the team culture and he’s done that, and I think certainly made a good case for himself with his history as a head coach that he would be up for the job.
You played against England when drawing 1-1 at the World Cup- how special was it to be part of that squad alongside the likes of Landon Donovan and Clint Dempsey?
I say this all the time, being a part of the World Cup team and that six, seven-week period in which you’re all together and you’re training and you’re preparing, you’ve qualified and you head over as a group and as a team and the feeling of being a part of something so big.
It was special and to have the relative success that we had winning the group, topping the group against England and having that late, last-minute Landin Donovan against Algeria and the dog pile in the corner flag.
Those celebrations and those moments and feeling that all the blood, the sweat, the tears, the training, the stuff that you do when people aren’t watching to then have that moment and that success and see it come to life on the field and be a part of a world cup.
When you’re a kid, that is what you dream about playing in and when you watch players play in the World Cup you say that’s what I want to do.
I want to represent my country at the highest possible level of our sport and for me that truly was that moment that I came on the field, and I played against England.
I took a moment after the game on the field thinking I did that and here we are but not allowing that to overcome my emotion and think that I’ve done it and it’s done.
But allowing yourself to celebrate what has been a lifelong body of work to get to that point and its only when you really talk about it in that way that you realise how few people have that opportunity and that honour to do so.
World Cups are different, being a part of that US team was the best group and team that I’ve been a part of and I just, I’m bummed that I didn’t get to do it again.
