Gio Reyna is back in the USMNT mix as if he never left. Despite playing just 146 minutes across six games for his new club, Borussia Mönchengladbach, the midfield prodigy was still called up by Mauricio Pochettino. And rightly so—he repaid his manager’s faith by delivering a remarkable goal-and-assist performance in the USA’s opening November fixture against Paraguay, helping his side to a 2-1 win. Since then, Reyna has become the talk of the town, and it was only a matter of time before he earned praise from US icon Tim Howard.

Having retired from international duty in 2017, just three years before Giovanni Reyna made his debut at the end of 2020, the former goalkeeper may not have had the chance to see the talented midfielder play alongside him, but he certainly knew along the way that Gio is no ordinary talent. “I’m a fan of Gio because I have my eyes wide open about who U.S. soccer is,” began Howard while speaking on the latest episode of his own co-hosted Unfiltered Soccer podcast alongside Landon Donovan. “Whether they reach their full potential or not, we don’t produce players like this.”

Imagine this coming from a player who was part of perhaps the most iconic class in USMNT history, let alone saying such things about Gio Reyna while sitting beside another icon like Donovan. Of course, the likes of Tab Ramos, Claudio Reyna, Clint Dempsey, Christian Pulisic, and even Landon Donovan, for that matter, are in their own class. But Howard believes that joining these five names should be Gio Reyna, who is no less than a generational talent himself.

And that’s a term the USMNT doesn’t exactly have in abundance at the moment, even though they’ve robust players in all positions from centerbacks to goalkeepers to midfielders and strikers. But it’s the type of Reyna talent that this nation hardly produces, making Howard wish for nothing but to see the former Borussia Dortmund star keep playing for the Stars and Stripes.

“I still hold out hope that he can find the form with the U.S. national team and that he can find a place, because it’s tough to take the ball in big moments,” added the former MLS goalkeeper. “When the lights are shining bright and you’re the underdog and the world is watching, it’s tough to take the ball in tight spots and tough moments, and I think he has the ability to do that. And I can’t say that about many players.”

Boy, it is some solid praise from an icon like Tim Howard. As for Gio Reyna, he has a task to live up to these words. In fact, he has already made up his mind about what he wants.

Gio Reyna belongs to Mauricio Pochettino’s USMNT!

“If a player doesn’t behave well, he’s not going to be with us,” was the warning that Mauricio Pochettino gave to Gio Reyna before the Paraguay match. And rightly so, the midfielder gave a response with his brilliant footwork on the pitch, making the Argentinian tactician admit, “So happy with him… He showed why he started.”

Those 75 minutes worth of playing while donning a USMNT shirt came after a long time for Reyna, and he is ready to do whatever it takes to prove why he deserves to be on the team for the long haul. “I knew it was an opportunity for me to show that I belong here,” said the Bundesliga talent after his remarkable performance.

Well, it’s good to see that Gio Reyna has earned the confidence of a manager like Mauricio Pochettino, who, by the way, is notoriously hard to impress. Then again, let’s hope it stays that way, because with six and a half months remaining until the 2026 FIFA World Cup kicks off, the onus is all on you, Gio.