Bundesliga
Paredes revelling in "dream come true" debut
Wolfsburg’s 18-year-old USA youth international Kevin Paredes says making his Bundesliga debut on Matchday 29 was a “dream come true”.
The midfielder, who only arrived at the Wolves at the end of January following his transfer from DC United, came on as an 86th-minute substitute for Maximilian Arnold in the team’s 4-0 win over Arminia Bielefeld.
He had four touches of the ball in his short time on the pitch, finding a teammate with every pass he made, while winning the only tackle he contested. A positive start then, however brief, and one that has left him wanting more.
“It was a dream come true,” Paredes told the club’s official Twitter account. “Ever since I was young I always wanted to play on the biggest stages and Wolfsburg is definitely the right place for me.
“To make my debut was amazing. The atmosphere was amazing, the crowd was amazing. The five minutes I played was probably the best five minutes I’ve ever experienced in my life, so that was great.”
“I’m beyond grateful for making my debut for Wolfsburg,” he tweeted after final time. “Ready to make more of these moments!”
The pacy left footer, who made his first two appearances for the USA U20 side in March, registered three goals and four assists in 38 MLS appearances prior to moving to the Bundesliga, but has had to bide his time at the Volkswagen Arena as he adapts to his new surroundings.
He was an unused substitute on Matchdays 21, 22, 24 and 28, with plenty of competition from Renato Steffen, Dodi Lukebakio, and Luca Waldschmidt, among others, for a place in attacking midfield.
Yet head coach Florian Kohfeldt says it is all part of a masterplan, especially given Wolfsburg’s precarious position in the table: the Wolves were just five points above the relegation zone before last week’s triumph over Bielefeld.
“With young players especially, you have to make sure you find the right moment when there’s not too much pressure,” Kohfeldt said when asked about Paredes earlier this month.
“For him to start right now would put a lot of pressure on him. And that’s unnecessary because we want to see a lot more of him here in Wolfsburg. But he’s definitely capable of making 10 or 20-minute appearances off the bench”