Andy Najar made official what had long been speculated upon and chose Honduras, his country of birth, as the country he'll represent at the international level. Although he is not yet a U.S. citizen and thus not currently eligible to play for the United States National Team, there had been hopes that he would choose to represent the country he has lived in for the past five years. At a Tuesday press conference, he ended any of those hopes.
Andy Najar Chooses Native Honduras Over USMNT
Andy Najar makes it official: He'll play for Honduras #dcu #catrachos
Steven Goff
SoccerInsider
At just 18 years old, Najar is probably still a few years away from reaching his full potential, but he’ll likely be able to contribute to Honduras’ CONCACAF Gold Cup team this summer. Anyone who has seen him play, can see the potential. As a 17-year-old in MLS last year, he was versatile enough to see time on defense, in the midfield and at forward. But his future seems to be as an attack-minded right midfielder, where he saw most of his time.
Despite playing on one of the worst teams in MLS history, he was able to score five goals while being the focal points of most defenses. He played nearly 2,000 minutes and was named the MLS Rookie of the Year.
Black And Red United, SB Nation’s DC United blog, had this to say about the decision:
Najar’s star has risen so quickly from schoolyard talent to high school superstar to Academy team standout to MLS Rookie Of The Year. This is just the next step for him. And as Steve Goff pointed out yesterday , Honduras is really the only choice that makes sense for someone who dreams of being a regular international contributor. He could be playing for them as early as the CONCACAF Gold Cup this summer.
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