“At the moment, there’s no thought of switching” – Noahkai Banks on choosing between the US and Germany

Noahkai Banks has opened up about his decision to represent the United States over Germany. Although he has yet to make his USMNT debut, the 19-year-old says he has no plans to switch allegiance – though he doesn’t completely close the door.

Born in Honolulu, Hawaii, to an American father and a German mother, 19-year-old FC Augsburg centre-back Noahkai Banks is eligible to represent both countries internationally.

Banks has spent most of his life in Germany, moving there with his mother after his parents separated when he was around five. Still, he has long been on the path to representing the Stars and Stripes.

“I was always very happy with the US. I got invited at U17 level and made a lot of friends there,” Banks told Bulinews.com and other outlets during a media roundtable on Tuesday when asked about his decision to represent the United States over Germany.

“Then I played at the U17 World Cup, which was incredible and one of the best experiences of my life. Later, at U19 and U20 level, we were still just like a big class of friends. It didn’t feel like I went to the national team camp just to play football – it felt like I went to meet my friends and play football with them. It was great.”

Banks was handed his first senior national team call-up by USMNT coach Mauricio Pochettino in September. However, since he didn’t get to make his debut, he is still eligible to play for Germany.

While he has been in contact with the German Football Association, Banks says he has no plans to switch allegiances – though he doesn’t completely close the door on Germany, admitting he can’t say what the future holds.

“I have been in touch with Germany before, to be honest. But as I said, I was always very happy with the US. You can’t tell what happens in the future, but at the moment, there’s no thought of switching or anything like that because I’m happy with the US,” he stressed.

“It’s not the right moment to think about the World Cup”

Banks could potentially make his U.S. debut in March if Pochettino calls him up again. But the 19-year-old insists that’s not on his mind right now.

“I think a lot of people always assume that as players, we think about what’s happening here or there. For me, it’s really important to just focus on the games because I know if I play well, the rest will come by itself,” Banks said.

The same approach applies to the World Cup, where he could represent the U.S. on home soil.

“It’s not the right moment to think about the World Cup for me because we have a lot of games left here [at Augsburg]and we want to win those games because we have goals for the season. So I really just focus on the games we have here.

“Let’s see what happens in the summer. But that’s not my main focus at the moment. My main focus is to finish the season strong with Augsburg.”

Clearly, Pochettino sees potential in the young defender. When he called up Banks in September, the U.S. coach praised him as someone who could potentially become the best centre-back in Europe.

“I read it because my mom sent it in the family group chat. She reads everything,” Banks said about Pochettino’s praise.

“It was a great compliment, but I know I have to work a lot to get there. I know I’m not there yet.”

Banks revealed that Pochettino has also given him specific tips to improve his game, and he is working to utilize them to take the next step in his development.

“Because he used to be a centre-back, he knows the position very well. He has helped me with small details, like positioning – just the small things that can make the difference at the highest level. He gave me some tips, and I hope I can do what he told me in the future,” Banks said.

During the interview, Banks also opened up about his favorite club and the footballers he looked up to while growing up.