If DeAndre Yedlin had any doubts about how invested Newcastle United is in his future, they were dispelled immediately after his first training session with the club. Manager Rafa Benitez took Yedlin aside and proceeded to spend 30 minutes with him discussing all manner of topics, from the system Benitez wants to play to Yedlin's place in it.
"I think it's very important to feel wanted at the club," said Yedlin during the recently concluded international break. "And I think just by [Benitez] doing that, making that simple 30-minute discussion with me, it kind of opens your eyes. 'Wow, he really wants me here.' That allows the player to really give it their all for him and the club."
Of course, nothing endears a player to his new club more than scoring his first goal. Yedlin got it on Sept. 10 against Derby County, bundling home Ayoze Perez's pass in second-half stoppage time to seal a 2-0 win. He then got 15 minutes as a substitute in Newcastle's 6-0 midweek thrashing of Queens Park Rangers.
But that goal vs. Derby is important on another level. When a player moves between rival clubs, as Yedlin did when his loan spell last year at Sunderland was followed by his transfer to Newcastle, there is an undercurrent of skepticism that follows. Are you one of them, or one of us? It creates a special kind of pressure that can be ratcheted up if the player struggles and makes it easier for fans of his new club to turn against him. Now that Yedlin has scored, that tension has begun to ease.
The tally is the latest sign that Yedlin is fitting in well with his surroundings and will no doubt increase his affinity for the Northeast of England. Without question, Yedlin's bond with his native Seattle is by no means under threat, and he doesn't have to look far to get a reminder of his hometown. The tattoos on his right arm are a veritable mural of the city. There are images of the Space Needle, Chief Seattle, an evergreen tree and one of Mt. Rainier as well. There's also a tattoo of a totem pole, a nod to his Native American heritage.
But Yedlin feels a commonality between his new home and the old that began last year, a vibe that he never felt in London when he was at Tottenham.
"Going to London was tougher than I thought it was going to be," he said. "I thought being in a big city was going to be awesome, so much to do. But it's such a big city, it's like living in New York. If you don't know your way around you can get lost a little bit.
"I think when it comes to the Northeast, it's a little more relaxed. People are a little bit calmer. There's less going on, so there's not as much to get caught up in. I've enjoyed my time up there. The people are very friendly, there are great restaurants, there's enough shopping so if you want to get something, there's enough. Sometimes the weather isn't the best, but it's kind of like Seattle and it's something you have to deal with. I really fell in love with the Northeast.
"I'm excited to spend a long time up there."
Yedlin was certainly in danger of getting lost amid Spurs' roster. With Kyle Walker and Kieran Trippier higher on Mauricio Pochettino's depth chart, playing time was going to be scarce for a player whose ability was still on the raw side. But Yedlin's loan spell at Sunderland last season provided a massive boost in his development, both in terms of his consistency as well as the fine details of playing full-back.
"I think I improved positionally, just being a little bit more aware with where I am on the field, knowing where my opponent is and just where I need to be," he said. "Also in one-on-one situations as well. I think I have a tool that not everybody has and that's speed. I think when I was a little bit younger I tried to rely on that a bit too much but now as I'm getting older, I'm not always going to be one of the fastest guys on the field, so I think it's good now that I'm learning positionally where I can be, and I think as my career hopefully takes me into the next 10 or 12 years, that will really help me."
Along the way, Yedlin proved he could handle the rigors of the Premier League, which is why it was something of a surprise when he opted to drop down to a team currently in the English Championship. But in Benitez, Newcastle has a manager with as impressive a resume as there is. The Magpies are also a team whose only ambition this year is to go straight back up to the Premier League after being relegated last season.
Eight games into the season, it's a case of so far, so good, with Newcastle in third place on goal difference ahead of Barnsley and Birmingham, just four points behind Huddersfield Town and two behind Norwich. For Yedlin, those aspects proved attractive even though the presence of Jesus Gamez and Vurnon Anita (who was sent off in Saturday's 2-0 defeat vs. Wolves) will make a place in the lineup anything but guaranteed.
"I don't think of it as a level drop in terms of my competition within the team," he said. "Training will still be excellent and the games will still be excellent. Then you look at it and you have a team that is very capable of getting back into the Premier League.
"I think when you have a year of playing, getting comfortable within the team, obviously it's not set in stone but hopefully you get back in the Premier League, and you're within a team and you're comfortable in [it]."
Yedlin indicated that he did seek out the advice of U.S. national team manager Jurgen Klinsmann, who gave the move his blessing.
"I try to include Jurgen in everything just because with my career, I don't think it would be where it is without him," he said. "Even when I wasn't playing regularly and wasn't in the squad at Tottenham and things weren't going the best, he still called me into camp and tried to get me game time. He's always shown that trust in me, and always tried to help me along the way. I really value his opinion and what he has to say."
Yedlin has now become a mainstay in the U.S. squad though the player insists he doesn't look at it that way because "if you do, you get too comfortable and then the next thing you know, your position is taken from you."
The challenge now is to do the same at Newcastle, though at the moment, Yedlin's position is unclear. He was inserted into last weekend's match in a midfield role as opposed to right-back. The same was true in Tuesday's win over QPR. But Yedlin isn't too concerned about the where he plays, so long as he's on the field.
"I'm a simple guy. I just show up and play," he said.
And feeling more wanted all the time.