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Bobby Wood says he would have quit soccer if it wasn't for Jurgen Klinsmann

Published Mar. 27, 2017 3:03 p.m. ET

Caitlin Murray

Jurgen Klinsmann is no longer the United States manager, but his legacy continues -- and Bobby Wood admitted he owes his USMNT career to Klinsmann.

Wood has been perhaps the USMNT's best striker option for more than a year now and has been in excellent form in the Bundesliga, but he said he may have quit soccer if it wasn't for Klinsmann showing belief in him.

"I believe that if Jurgen had not been the U.S. head coach, I might have quit football or would have played somewhere in the fourth tier," Wood told Hamburg's club magazine via Bild.

"I was in a deep hole at the time, it was really difficult. But Jurgen Klinsmann gave me a lifeline so I could get back out of it."

In Wood's case, Klinsmann shrugged off critics who didn't understand why the coach was giving Wood a chance at a time when his club career was at a low. The Hawaiian striker made his debut in 2013 and he hardly looked the part of a future star. He was plying his trade in Germany's fourth division and his USMNT appearances were plagued with indecisiveness.

When it was difficult to see Wood being a star, Klinsmann stuck to his hunch with the youngster's potential and continued to work with Wood, even as critics questioned his decisions. Now, Wood is an obvious starter for the USMNT and his injury before World Cup qualifying this month looked like a big blow to Arena's plans.

Everyone is moving on from Klinsmann's tenure at the helm of the USMNT, but Klinsmann's mark on the USMNT continues. As Wood continues to find success with the USMNT and in the Bundesliga, the 24-year-old striker might just become Klinsmann's greatest triumph as a coach.

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