Gio Reyna: “Manuel Neuer the hardest competitor I’ve played against”

USA international and Borussia Dortmund midfielder Gio Reyna says Bayern Munich goalkeeper Manuel Neuer is “the hardest competitor” he has played against, just three weeks before the teams meet in the Supercup.

Reyna is currently with Dortmund at their pre-season training camp in Bad Ragaz, Switzerland, gearing up for his second full campaign with the first team.

During a Twitter question and answer session in which he took control of the club’s official English-language account, the 18-year-old answered fans’ queries about his life in Dortmund.

Watch: Reyna's learning curve in 2020/21

Some responses were light-hearted; Reyna said Erling Haaland “has the worst fashion sense when he is on summer holidays,” and that his favourite stadium is Werder Bremen’s Wohninvest WeserStadion “because I scored my first goal there”.

Others were more personal, such as how he adapted to moving to Germany at such a young age: “It was difficult when I was 16 to move to a foreign country. But I had to make a sacrifice to reach my goals of being a high-level player. I have a great family and friends who have helped me a lot and I've also met some really great people in Dortmund who have helped me.”

The results have been visible out on the pitch, with Reyna enjoying a sensational breakout year in 2020/21, becoming a first-team regular at Dortmund and also earning his first senior caps for the USA.

He produced four goals and six assists in 32 Bundesliga outings last season, as well as three strikes en route to winning the DFB Cup. With the new campaign firmly on the horizon, he is now eager for more and to “help the team in any way possible”.

Following Jadon Sancho’s departure, that could involve the attacking midfielder taking on even greater responsibility in Dortmund’s frontline alongside Haaland, especially when BVB go head-to-head with old rivals Bayern in the Supercup on Tuesday 17 August.

There Reyna will once again go up against Neuer, who he described as “the hardest competitor I’ve faced” as he looks to beat the reigning Bundesliga champions for the first time, having lost each of the three games he has featured in so far.

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