'He hasn't changed, but grown' - USMNT star Weston McKennie challenged to 'do even better' by Juventus boss Massimiliano Allegri after putting Leeds nightmare behind him

The Texas-born midfielder returned to Juve in the summer following a nightmare six-month loan spell with Leeds. McKennie linked up with fellow USMNT stars Tyler Adams and Brenden Aaronson but was unable to steer his side clear of the drop, as they were relegated from the Premier League. Asked about how that experience affected the 25-year-old, Allegri pointed towards his positive development before insisting he can do more.

Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday, the Juve boss stated: "He has not changed, but grown. At Leeds he matured and came back with a great desire to stay and do well. He has five months ahead of him and he still has to do even better."

McKennie has already matched last season's assists tally (two) after just 18 matches played for the Old Lady this term, but the American is yet to find the back of the net across all competitions. His recent display against Roma, which saw him limp off late on with an injury, saw him heavily criticised, prompting his father to issue an angry response.

The USMNT midfielder will no doubt drown out more noise off the field and put focus on his manager's positive comments, using them as motivation to finally score his first goal of the campaign. He will next get that opportunity when Juventus host Salernitana in the Coppa Italia round of 16 on Thursday.