'Keep building on what I've been doing' - Gio Reyna is finally finding his rhythm for the USMNT and Strasbourg, but can he make a statement against PSG?

When Reyna was linked with a move away from Borussia Monchengladbach this summer, it was no great mystery what he needed: minutes. Reyna simply needed to play, no matter what and no matter where.

"Deep down, I really trust in my ability and what I can do any time I step on a field," he told GOAL just before the World Cup. "Of course, it's not as easy when you know maybe you're playing 20 minutes. So, of course, the game-to-game rhythm matters, and I think that's what I'm looking at to really take the next step in my career."

There are a few reasons why Reyna has been unable to take that next step between 19 and 23, his current age. Chief among them? Injuries. Since the 2021-22 season, Reyna has had to miss games on 15 separate occasions. Some were minor for things like illness. Others? More long-term: a groin strain, a leg injury, multiple muscular issues.

Still, the talent was there, which is why Strasbourg took a shot. So far, Reyna has shown signs of why it was a shot worth taking. He hasn't set the world alight, but he has had good moments, scoring one goal across his 335 minutes so far. It's October, but those 335 minutes are significant. He played just 439 in total during the 2021-22 campaign, 625 in 2022-23, 515 in 23-24, 350 in 2024-25 and 520 last season. If all goes to plan, Reyna will have played more minutes by winter than he has in any season since his breakout in 2020-21.

“I feel like I’m getting back to my full self, feeling really good," Reyna said. "I've felt like I’ve had a good start this season at club, and then also bringing that here now."

In addition to those minutes, Reyna got a significant run out with the USMNT, which could be a major turning point for the 23-year-old midfielder.

For years, various people in and around the USMNT have discussed how important Reyna could be. Pochettino called him "special" leading up to the World Cup, and that was justified by his trivela against Turkey. The fact is, though, that Reyna has never been a go-to option. His role as a backup at the 2022 World Cup was controversial but, this summer, there was nothing controversial about the fact that Reyna wasn't a starter.

Still, despite his injury issues, Reyna has generally been involved when fit. There's a reason why.

"Gio's always been a top, top player," USMNT captain Tyler Adams said. "It's been clear now that he has had a run of games. I think that's super important for him and to bring out the best in him. He's going to be a huge player for us moving forward."

He was a huge player for the USMNT in the most recent camp. In the first game of the window against Peru, Reyna assisted Justin Ellis just minutes into the game. Against Chile, he teed up Julian Hall for a goal, too. He returned to play a solid 82-minute shift against Mexico before then drawing five fouls in 45 minutes against Canada. Surviving all of those fouls was as much of a step forward as the assists, in some ways.

"It is what it is," Reyna said of all the fouls against Canada. "It's part of the game. I'm used to it. It's part of the job of being an attacker as well.

That was one of Reyna's roles, of course. There was another: mentor.

In the days leading up to camp, one of the 13 USMNT newcomers, Justin Ellis, was asked who he was excited to play alongside. His answer? Reyna, someone he has looked up to for a long time.

"That makes you feel a little bit old," Reyna said.

After spending actual time alongside Reyna, Ellis raved about his new teammate. It was Reyna who pulled him aside the night before his USMNT debut and told him he'd assist him for a goal. He did just that. Ellis, Mathis Albert and Cole Campbell all said that Reyna helped them along their journey. There's a reason why he was so good at it: his ability to connect with that new generation as a player that, just a few short years ago, was in their shoes.

"Gio's in the middle between these young guys and me," said Adams. "To see a guy with that experience that's like, 'This is what I was doing four years ago', or having conversations and blending in, there's a buffer, which I think is important for a lot of these young guys to just feel comfortable in their surroundings."

It's not just a national team thing; it's like that at the club level, too. At Strasbourg, Reyna is one of the more senior players, with the oldest player in the squad being 24. The club, which is under the same ownership group as Chelsea, is generally seen as a club where talent goes to develop. At 23, Reyna is still under that umbrella, but he has experience, too.

"I just try to be myself No. 1," Reyna said of his approach to leadership. "...I also have a little brother who's 19, so I know how 19-year-olds act, and a sister who's 17. The older guys I've been friends with for years, so I just try to be myself and just try to enjoy the time with everybody.

The younger kids can be a little more nervous and quiet at times, so I try to bring a little bit out of them, and they've been great."

This is just getting started, though, and this weekend will provide Reyna with his biggest test yet.

On Saturday, Reyna and Strasbourg will face Paris Saint-Germain. Everyone knows what that game means. PSG are, of course, the top dogs of Ligue 1. They are the measuring stick. They are the giants that continue to dominate the league.

They are also possibly beatable this weekend. The match is sandwiched between games against Manchester City and Barcelona, which means rotation is expected. Even so, PSG's backups are better than most starting XIs in Ligue 1, and Strasbourg may not have enough veteran know-how to take advantage. Of the players in the team, Reyna is one who does. A win, then, would have to come with him leading the charge.

That's the near-term, and the long-term is obviously the big focus. For all of Reyna's bursts of success, there has never really been a sustained period of anything. It's what's held him back and why he's at Strasbourg now and not one of the world's biggest clubs. At 23, he could still get there, but, to do so, he needs to show that he has improved physically. He has to get even better from here.

Maybe this is the season he finally does it and, if it is, Strasbourg will be much better for it. The USMNT will, too, particularly with the Nations League starting up next month.

“That’s why he was with us at the World Cup when he wasn’t playing a lot in his team," Pochettino said. "He’s a player who we think has enormous talent."

Now it's up to Reyna to allow that talent to shine through, finally, after all this time.