Sebastian Lletget eyeing Hammers and U.S. under 20′s
There’s been plenty of speculation over the future of a number of the prized dual-national prospects in the current U.S. U-20 player pool.
One who has given U.S. fans some things to worry about is Sebastian Lletget, a California native with Argentine and Italian roots. But U-20 coach Thomas Rongen now says American fans should rest easy, as Lletget will play a large role in this Under-20 cycle once he is recovered from a long bout with illness.
10Kit’s own Noah Davis stirred things up back in May, when he reported that Lletget had some designs on going the route of Giuseppe Rossi. Club conflicts at West Ham United, where Lletget has been recognized as a bright prospect, kept him out of the U-17 World Cup last year, and speculation began that the U.S. had lost another one. But Rongen now says that’s far from the case.
“That’s the first I’ve heard of it,” Rongen said of the speculation. “No, he’s totally, totally committed to us. It was a great experience too the one time he came in. So I’m convinced that he wants to play for us, and a very talented player too.”
Lletget missed the recent camp in San Jose, and Rongen said he won’t join the team for the Milk Cup in Northern Ireland later this month, since he’s just getting back to West Ham after a long absence due to illness.
“He’s devastated that he can’t go to the Milk Cup,” the coach said. “Not too many people know this, but he’s been very ill since the beginning of January. A very rare blood disease – and their club is doing a scan on his spleen. We’ve been very careful. His doctor said no way.
“They’re doing a scan on him in England on Friday [yesterday] and we all hope his spleen is back to its normal size. I told him just stay there, ease yourself back into it. The Milk Cup is coming too early. He was devastated. He wants to go so badly.”
Rongen said Lletget is in his plans for this cycle, leading to the U-20 World Cup in Colombia. After looking at dozens of players over five camps in the last eight months, the coach hopes to have the core of his team together for the first time at the Milk Cup, with the exception of a few players like Lletget, who will stay with their clubs.
Lletget said he’s been looking for an opportunity to get into camp with Rongen, but it will have to wait until he is completely healthy.
“West Ham wont let me yet because I had mono,” he said by email. “They just want me to be one hundred percent.”
After missing most of the spring to illness, Lletget is likely to start the season with West Ham’s U-18 squad. The seventeen year old will be starting his second full year in England.
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