Former Werder Bremen forward Aron Johannsson believes ex-teammate Josh Sargent has the potential to go where no American striker has gone before on European soil.

Johannsson left Bremen earlier this summer, having observed Sargent fire his way from the reserves into first-team contention.

Sargent scored twice, including on his senior debut, in 10 Bundesliga appearances between December 2018 and May 2019, and Johannsson believes his compatriot will only get better.

"I don't want to say too much because I feel like I don't want to overhype him but he's an amazing talent and he can reach levels that I don't think many strikers from America have reached," Johannsson told American Soccer Now.

"But he's still young and he still needs to learn. That's what I hope he will do that he will be patient and he will learn and he will listen to people giving him advice and stuff like this.

"And, yeah, he just needs to be patient and wait for his opportunity because he has an enormous amount of qualities. It's very exciting."

Watch: Josh Sargent scored 86 seconds into his Bundesliga debut back in December 2018!

Sargent's early promise was rewarded with a new long-term contract in February 2019. The 19-year-old is currently enjoying his first full pre-season campaign with the Werder first team, and scored a sublime solo goal in the recent friendly win over Bundesliga rivals Cologne.

"I know he's working very hard and he's doing extra work all the time, but in this in this world it's a harsh world and you don't always get what you deserve," Johannsson said of Sargent, who was left out of USA coach Gregg Berhalter's 2019 CONCACAF Gold Cup squad earlier this summer.

"He just needs to be patient and then work for his opportunities, and then I think he will make it very far."

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Johannsson - who was born in Mobile, Alabama to Icelandic parents - spent four seasons with Bremen. He scored on his third Bundesliga outing in August 2015, but managed just three more strikes in a further 27 top-flight appearances due to a series of injuries.

The most recent episode - a career-threatening ankle problem - denied him the chance to line up in the same side as Sargent, although he did play once more in the Bundesliga and twice for Werder's reserves before joining Swedish outfit Hammarby on a free transfer in July.

Johannsson says he will stay in contact with Sargent, and hopes to one day play alongside his former Bremen teammate for the USA.

"I'm still in touch with Josh," he explained. "We're good friends and we have the same goal: to play for the US."

Johannsson has not represented his country since September 2015, while Sargent earned the last of his seven senior US caps to date in a Gold Cup warm-up game against Jamaica in June 2019.

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