The teenager is the latest American to break through in the Bundesliga and he looks like a player with the ability to stick around for a long time
Noahkai Banks wasn’t given time to be nervous. He would have been and probably should have been if this was a normal debut, but this was anything but normal. The 18-year-old defender was being thrown right into the thick of it with no time to think and, more importantly, no time to feel those nerves.
The American teenager’s Bundesliga debut for Augsburg came as a 29th-minute injury substitute. There was hardly any time to warm up or get ready. Nope, Banks was into the game and expected to step up. Sink or Swim. Augsburg ultimately lost the game, falling 1-0 to Stuttgart, but there’s no doubt about it: Banks swam.
Now, less than a month since, it feels like the young center back has already arrived. He’s started twice for Augsburg since coming off the bench back on Jan. 12, showing signs of why many see him as a future U.S. men’s national team star. That future may not be too far away, either. USMNT center back spots remain up for grabs and, if these first few weeks are any indication, Banks is a player that could grab it sooner than many think.
Many see Banks as a potential USMNT center back of the future. His performances in the Bundesliga show that those believers may be right. Banks has stepped up to the challenges so far with a unique combination of size, skill, and composure that make him look like the ideal modern center back. It’s early days, yes, and Banks still has a lot of proving to do, but you only get one crack at a first impression, and Banks’ was about as impressive as it could have been.