13 fun facts about Tyler Adams

Adams' life took a "grind" to get where it is now. He was born and reared in Wappingers Falls, New York on February 14, 1999. At the tender age of 11, the New York Red Bull Academy snatched him up. As exciting as it may sound, it also required a daily 150-mile roundtrip commute to and from training.

"Being in school and having to do the drive, it was definitely a big commitment," he told US Soccer. "Having to go to practice from 8:30 pm to 10:00 pm. I wouldn't get back home until midnight. Waking up the next day at 7:00 am and having to go to school, definitely wasn't the typical teenage schedule. This drive was always a part of my challenge. It's helped me in a big way."

Adams may have represented the USA from junior all the way to senior levels, but he also possesses a Scottish link. He told the Player's Tribune, "My grandfather on my stepdad's side of the family was from Scotland and immigrated to the USA with his girlfriend in 1961.

"They didn’t bring much with them, but they did have their soccer fandom. The whole Scottish side of our family is die-hard Rangers fans. I can’t even wear a green shirt around them because that’s Celtic’s colours — their rivals. I made that mistake once. I was told that if I wanted to eat with the rest of the family I had to change. I thought it was a joke. It was not a joke. I mean, my uncle Alan even has a dog named Ranger, and if you say the word Celtic to the dog, it growls."

When Adams was progressing through the New York Red Bulls' development programme, Thierry Henry was the team's most well-known player. Despite the fact that their names were never on the same teamsheet due to their differing age groups, Adams did contribute to one of the French superstar's most well-known MLS goals.

Henry scored a legendary ‘Olimpico’ goal in off the far post direct from a corner against Columbus Crew in September 2012. The name of the ball boy who passed him the ball for his iconic strike? None other than Tyler Adams, a self-confessed fan of the forward. "As a kid, I had a poster of him in my room," he told Bild. "I often watched his games for Arsenal or Barcelona. I was then able to train with him. I became a professional because of Henry. He was my motivation."

The supremely talented USMNT player is also a bit of a hooper, the midfielder is often seen showcasing his basketball skills on the court. While he did become a professional footballer, in school Adams was much more recognized as the point guard for his high-school basketball team.

The USMNT star revealed that he also likes a bit of wildlife photography from time to time as it helps him get his mind off the pitch and relax during his downtime.

Adams became the first player to graduate from the Red Bulls Regional Development school and earn a professional deal. He made 33 appearances with New York Red Bulls II and made his MLS debut with New York Red Bulls in 2016.

During his time with RB Leipzig, Adams settled well in Germany and said that the number of English speakers in the team – in addition to compatriot Jesse Marsch on the coaching staff – helped smooth over the transition from New York.

However, it had not all been plain sailing. "A lot of people in Germany speak English, but sometimes you run into a situation someone doesn’t. I went to the grocery story one time and they only spoke German and they have such different accents in Leipzig.

"I tried to use my card at the cash register and I was just standing there, wondering why this lady was just staring at me. She wasn’t saying anything except this one word in a German accent that was harder to understand. After a few minutes of wondering why she didn’t give me my receipt and looking at my card sitting there, I just gave her cash and left. I came around later and figured out that she was asking me to type in my pin number, but I didn’t think I was using a debit card!"

Gio Reyna and Tyler Adams have been friends for a very long time. They both hail from New York, have known one another their entire lives, and Gio has even competed against Adams' younger brother. He and his younger brother are of the same age. Reyna plays as an offensive midfielder while Adams plays defence on the field. Adams claims that Reyna has a fantastic personality and is also amusing and enjoyable to be around despite being very shy.

Despite having left his high school education after he made a move to Germany, the midfielder later started studying for a diploma in psychology and will finish in 2023. His course consists of general psychology and contemporary health. A lot of what he learns in these classes subtly relates to the professional athlete's life. He was learning about sleep, nutrition, mental health, and how they all play a key role in performance. Adams was picked to study this because he was interested in the similarities between being a professional athlete and sports psychology.

Adams made his first appearance with the New York Red Bulls' first team on July 23, 2015, in a friendly matchup against then Premier League champions, Chelsea. Adams headed a gorgeous cross into the goal in the 69th minute, tying the game at 1-1, and the Red Bulls went on to win 4-2. Adams had a memorable experience, to put it mildly.

When asked about who his immediate soccer mentors were, Adams was quick to point out former Red Bulls players Sacha Kljestan and Dax McCarty. Both players provided Adams with the unique insight of having experience representing club and country. An experience which definitely progressed his career.

During the 2022 FIFA World Cup, Adams was named captain of the team, the day before the USMNT's Group B opening match against Wales, which the U.S. went on to tie 0-0, according to MLSSoccer.com. He became the youngest USMNT captain since Walter Bahr, who led the team in the 1950 World Cup.

He was also the youngest captain to participate in the entire tournament. Under his leadership, the USMNT made it to the round of 16 after having failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup.

A journalist from Iran's PressTV named Milad Javanmardi tried to correct Adams about the mispronunciation of his nation's name the day before the match with Iran. "Our country is named ur·aan, not eye·ran. Please, once and for all, let's get this clear."

He was then asked about the prevalence of racial prejudice in America.

Adams graciously apologised, then went on to say he: "grew up in a white family with obviously an African American heritage and background as well, So, I had a little bit of different cultures and I was a very, very easily able to assimilate in different cultures. So, you know, not everyone has that, that ease and the ability to do that. And obviously, it takes longer to understand and through education, I think it's super important. Like you just educated me now on the pronunciation of your country."

The full - and impressive - response from #USMNT captain Tyler Adams in response to Iranian journalist questions about mispronouncing Iran and discrimination against black people in America. pic.twitter.com/IHvik0DmtK

— U.S. Soccer Reform (@reformussoccer) November 28, 2022

During the Coronavirus-pandemic hit 2020/21 season, Tyler Adams scored an 88th-minute winner for RB Leipzig against Atletico Madrid during their single-legged quarter-final tie. The winner helped Leipzig reach their first ever Champions League semi-final which they eventually lost against Paris Saint-Germain.