Kekuta Manneh now eligible to apply for U.S. Citizenship

The United States men's national team could soon be adding a young and dynamic attacking player to their selection pool. Vancouver Whitecaps winger, Kekuta Manneh, told MLSSoccer.com on Wednesday that he's now eligible to apply for his U.S. Citizenship.

Despite playing his club soccer in Canada, Manneh has been living inside the USA border in a city called Point Roberts, Washington to comply with citizenship requirements.

The 21-year-old says he's excited that the process is finally reaching a conclusion and hopes to represent the U.S. national team one day.

"I actually just finished all my days. I'm really excited about how the whole process went and now we're finally there," Manneh said.

"It would mean a lot. I've been living here for a while now and I consider the United States home. So it would be great to represent the country."

The Whitecaps youngster is coming off a week where he was named MLS Player of the Week for his 2 Goals and 1 assist performance against Toronto FC. He's a very pacey forward who can be one of the best players in MLS when he's at the top of his game. He struggles with consistency, but he would no doubt be a great addition to the USMNT player pool once he's eligible.

Manneh also says that Jurgen Klinsmann has contacted him and texts or calls him to keep in touch.

"I've talked to Jurgen. He keeps in close contact, he texts every once in a while, he calls every once in a while. He kinda keeps me on my toes and telling me that they're interested. It's really exciting to know."

Once he officially becomes a U.S. Citizen later this year, he should be a strong candidate to make the roster for the next set of World Cup qualifiers come September. The national team lacks dynamic winger options and Manneh would be a welcome addition.