U.S. youth international Noahkai Banks shines in first Bundesliga start for Augsburg in win vs. Heidenheim

U.S. youth international Noahkai Banks was named to Augsburg's XI for the first time in Bundesliga play, having recently made his debut off the bench in a 1-0 loss to Stuttgart on Jan. 12. That debut came as a result of an early injury, totaling up a 61-minute appearance. In the weeks since he'd since gone on to make two more substitute appearances while playing 40 more Bundesliga minutes.

The 18-year-old defender was then named to the starting lineup for the first time on Saturday, starting as part of the club's back three. He went 70 strong minutes, completing 98 percent of his passes, the best of any player on the field. Additionally, he won two tackles, had 16 clearances, and won six of his eight duels.

The U.S. youth defender was born in Hawaii on Dec. 1, 2006, but has been with the Augsburg Academy since joining in 2015. He was, at one point, playing for Augsburg's U-17 at the age of 14 and has now completed his rise to the club's first-team squad.

On the international scene, Banks has been a regular with the U.S. at several age groups, having played up to the U-20 level. He was a member of the U.S.> team for the U-17 World Cup in 2023.

Banks' fantastic passing numbers weren't inflated by short-range passes. He went a perfect seven-for-seven on long balls during Saturday's start.

With Saturday's win, Augsburg now find themselves 11th in the Bundesliga. They'll be back in action on Feb. 1 against FC St. Pauli before then visiting Stuttgart for the DFB-Pokal quarterfinal three days later.