Bundesliga
McKennie signs new Schalke contract
Weston McKennie has signed a new contract with Schalke, keeping him at the Gelsenkirchen club until 2024.
The USA international, who has been with the Royal Blues since joining from FC Dallas in 2016, has played 59 times for Schalke since making his senior debut against Ingolstadt in May 2017.
The extension sees McKennie bound to the club for an extra two years beyond his previous contract and was a simple choice according to the 20-year-old: “This was an easy decision for me because of the continuous support from you the fans, the club, the coaches, my teammates.”
The 11-time USA international has enjoyed two full seasons with the Schalke first team, with both his goals for the club coming in the 2018/19 season just gone. They in fact came within the space of a week, starting with a late winner at Lokomotiv Moscow in the UEFA Champions League group stage.
Watch: McKennie’s first Bundesliga goal
His maiden Bundesliga goal came the following weekend in a 2-0 win at Fortuna Düsseldorf, while the Texas native also chipped in with four assists from 24 league appearances.
McKennie has proven himself an incredibly popular and useful player at Schalke, with his versatility on the pitch providing his coaches with a valuable asset. Last season he featured in no fewer than seven different positions across the pitch.
The talented American was utilised at right-back, centre-back, right midfield, holding midfielder, as a box-to-box midfielder, a number 10 and as a second striker. One of the few positions where he wasn’t needed was in goal, but McKennie admitted he would even be happy to play there if asked.
Saying that, however, the 20-year-old added that he sees himself as a box-to-box player, and will be hopeful that new coach David Wagner will deploy him in his preferred position for the new Bundesliga season, which begins for Schalke at Borussia Mönchengladbach.