Weston McKennie credits Bayern Munich’s Leon Goretzka for mentoring

Bayern Munich’s Leon Goretzka is just 25-years-old, but has a maturity and awareness about him that does not often get publicized.

Goretzka’s former teammate at Schalke 04, Weston McKennie, has fond memories of the Bayern Munich midfielder exhibiting those traits. As the two players were jostling for playing time in Gelsenkirchen, McKennie told ESPN (as captured by Twitter user @LeoulPrince7) that Goretzka played a big role in helping him get acclimated by mentoring the American:

When I came to Schalke, Leon Goretzka took me under his wing even though I played the same position as him and mentored me very often.

McKennie, who is on loan at Juventus this season, is one of the brightest prospects in the United States and figures to be an integral part of the USMNT for years to come. As for Goretzka, he has developed into an unquestioned starter for Bayern Munich and was an integral part of the treble-winning core group during the 2019/2020 season.