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Kevin Paredes can, in his own words, play anywhere. Call him a winger, and you'd devalue his defensive work. Call him a full-back, and you'd ignore his ability to make things happen in and around the penalty area, or his composure in central areas. Formerly of DC United, the 21-year-old made a high profile move to Wolfsburg in 2022. And after a difficult first season, he flourished in the second, becoming a crucial part of Ralph Hasenhuttl's side as they recovered from a poor start to salvage a mid-table finish.
This summer, his role will only expand. A regular at all US Youth National Team levels, Paredes is set to be the central figure for the US Olympic side when they commence play in the Paris games later this month. It's not a stepping stone as such, but it does give the youngster an opportunity to make a splash, and crack the USMNT proper (he already has three caps for the senior side.)
This summer will be pivotal in his development - and the scope of his career. GOAL US caught up with Paredes to talk Germany, his national team ambitions, and what he has learned from other famous Olympians...
It's been six weeks since the Bundesliga season ended now. Could you just break down how you think it went at Wolfsburg this year?
Yeah, for me personally, I thought it was a much improved year in terms of playing time and impact on the team. It first started a little slow, like my previous seasons, but with the correct guidance, correct mindset and hard work, it all panned out and went better in the second half of the season.
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I contributed a lot more to the team from the start of the game, which was something that I've been striving for since I made this move to Germany. As a team, it wasn't really our best season. We had a new coach, and you could start seeing a really good, positive change in the group. Really excited for this new season, coming up with the new coach
You touched on one thing there. You've been in Europe for two full years (and signed for Roc Nation International). Now that you can reflect a bit more, how do you think the move has gone?
The first year and a half was really a struggle, really a grind to prove myself here in Germany. It was a really, really strong mental battle. I learned a lot about myself in the past year and a half, going out of my comfort zone from playing in MLS, playing at home in DC near my family, friends and everything.
I was really trying to make that cultural change to come here to Germany, to play in the Bundesliga, playing in a top league against many great teams, great players. And also for my team as well, you got a lot of great competition that I can go against every day. It was really a grind, it's a mental battle.
At first, everyone was asking me if this was the correct thing for me, but I'm so grateful I get to learn through the ups and downs - especially in down moments. I learned so much that it's helping me strive now. Being able to play in the Olympics with the first team now, with Wolfsburg, starting from the start, it's all of those negative experiences before that have really built up to this moment, and I'm so happy.
Were you cognizant of the pressure that came with being an American in Europe? How did you find that, for yourself and maybe from the fans?
Yeah, I was definitely aware. I definitely saw some things that "maybe Kevin wasn't ready for this move" and all of that, but it's just all talk. Throughout my academy experience as well, and going out to the DC first team, I had to go through a lot of adversity as well. I was not playing and breaking into the squad. I was used to these types of things, and I was used to hearing that I wasn't good enough from an early age.
Coming here to Germany, hearing the exact same thing didn't really faze me much. Maybe people believed it at first, because I wasn't playing, but I knew in the back of my head, and I knew the work I was putting in throughout the day when no one was watching. I knew how confident I'll eventually be. I knew that my work, my dedication, and love of the game ... moving all the way from across the world without your family, it really gives you an extra push as well.
The past year or two I've been missing my family a lot, but I know I'm doing it for a good reason, so that gives me the extra motivation and push. Yeah, I'm just so happy. I'm happy in the spot I am right now.
Is there any specific area of growth you can point to that you've made as a human or as a footballer?
Before coming Germany to during the past two years, I was really comfortable where I was at. I was really one of the big prospects in DC, in the U.S. at that moment. I was with my family. Everything was just comfortable. Everything was going smooth. There were no negatives about it. But I found that a bit too easy at times.
And I'm starting to think bigger. Being alone these past two years has really opened my eyes up, opened a lot of more new experiences for myself. Living by yourself, you have to do all the cooking, all the laundry, things that, you know, my mom was there to do and help me!
To this day, I can't speak the language that well. I'm trying, but it's difficult. Just trying new things is what I didn't really do before. I always wanted to take the comfortable route. I was like "I like the comfort." But now, I'm so happy with the experiences I'm getting, new things, you know, in place. It's just really cool to me.
On to the Olympic roster. You figure to be a big part of whatever happens this summer. What does it mean to you? It's big, especially in the U.S.
It's an unreal moment. I know how much pride that the US takes in these Olympics, in all sports, and for me to participate this year, and it's going to be a surreal moment. It's just crazy to think about that I will be able to compete against, you know, some of the world's best. We've got France in the first game, and their roster is always strong. So to go against them in this type of tournament is going to be amazing.
And after having many talks with the coach, with Marco (Mitrovic), who's really great coach, and also with Gregg Berhalter as well, coming into this tournament, they expect a lot from me for the group, from being with the first team three times before. They expect me to help the group as much as I can, do the things that got me to this point. And hopefully, it will help shape me to become a U.S. player for the first team in the future.
It's been a difficult week for US soccer after the Copa America group stage exit. Do you think there's a bit more pressure or expectation on you guys coming off the back of that? Is this a chance to change the way people think about the U.S.?
Maybe the Copa America wasn't the best showing, but after being with that group of guys, I know, like, how talented they are, and how much they love to play for the country, and how much fight they always put in.
For us going into this tournament, our one reason is to win. I think that's clear from the message from the group, from the coach, and everyone. Being in the past few camps with the Olympic team, seeing in the players' eyes and in training as well, they really want to win. I'm really grateful to be in a team that harps on that during our team meetings. So I don't think we're really going to have that in the back of our minds. We're just going there to focus on the Olympics, and want to win.
Do you have any specific Olympic memories, or is there anyone you watched growing up as a kid that served as an inspiration?
Swimming was actually a really big one, esepcially Michael Phelps. The amount of sh*t talking he did with other athletes as well. It's not my sport or anything like that, but it's a U.S. guy that went on and just won a whole bunch of medals.
And it's something for us to look at, even though it's not the same sport. The dedication he had and the motivation that he kept going for each and every medal, and he went out there just to kill everyone. That's something that we want to do in this Olympics as well, and in the future for U.S. soccer.
It's a mentality thing, right? What you take from it as an athlete?
Yeah, the amount of medals that he won. It's definitely skill and talent and all that. But it's definitely a mentality thing to go into each and every Olympics and just say, "I'm just gonna win this. No matter what anyone says, I'm gonna go out there compete, I'm gonna win." So hopefully we have the same mentality going into our Olympics as well.
You said you'd talked to Gregg a bit, and you've been in and around the first team. Is the Olympics a good path for you to return back to that?
Every single U.S. team is, for me, a privilege to be on. So I'm not really looking that it's a down step or anything like that. I don't think it is at all, but I definitely know that if I continue to have good games and good showings and all that, eventually I will go back to the first team.
Every single time I want to be with the first team. That's clear for my standards and my dreams as well, to always be with the first team, always competing with guys like Christian Pulisic, Antonee Robinson, Tim Weah, all these guys. I look at my game as well, seeing the country's best and how I rank among them and I think it's always great for competition as well. The Olympics would be a great step for getting back on the team, but also showing myself to the country and to the world that I can play with anyone. I can help any team. Definitely, I can help the national team at some point.
You have played pretty much everywhere out wide. So what is your favorite position to play, and what's your best?
Honestly, that's a really good question. Last year for Wolfsburg I played every position. I played outside back, I played center back, I played in the midfield, I played as a striker, a winger. The only position I didn't play was goalkeeper.
I honestly don't know what my best and favorite position is. I like both of the wings. I'm an attacking-minded player, so I like playing up top, on the wings, creating goals. But I also like to do the defending and the dirty work as an outside back as well. I like to make good tackles. I like to defend crosses.
I don't really know what my best position or my favorite position is. I don't complain. I just know what I have to do. I just want to bring something to the team that's needed.