Good news for BVB U19 talent Giovanni Reyna: the American has been named in his home country's squad for the upcoming U17 World Cup in Brasil. At the squad unveiling on Thursday, U.S. coach Raphael Wicky announced that Reyna will captain the side. 

''I'm really happy to be part of the squad. All the more so given my firm belief that this team can go far in the tournament,'' said Reyna shortly after the announcement. The 16-year-old American has represented his country eight times at U17 level. The U.S. team will get their World Cup underway on 27 October against Senegal. They will also face Japan and the Netherlands in the group stage. 

Reyna will have no doubt benefited enormously from the experience of training with the BVB first-team squad during preseason. ''It's been a huge boost for me. The tempo is much higher and I'm able to test myself against players who are far more advanced physically,'' said the son of the former U.S. national team player and World Cup quarter-finalist Claudio Reyna, going on to add: ''I've already played against 'real' World Cup winners like Mario Götze and Mats Hummels in training. I obviously want to bring this experience over to the U17 version of the tournament.''