INTERVIEW: USMNT and Augsburg defender Noahkai Banks names favorite club and childhood football idols

FC Augsburg and United States defender Noahkai Banks has named his favorite club and the players he looked up to the most while growing up.

Since the start of the season, Noahkai Banks has established himself as a regular starter in FC Augsburg’s three-man backline, making 17 Bundesliga appearances this term.

The 19-year-old is widely regarded as a bright prospect, with United States coach Mauricio Pochettino previously saying he believes Banks has the potential to become one of the best centre-backs in Europe.

For now, Banks is enjoying gaining his first experiences in the Bundesliga, but if his rapid rise continues, he may eventually look to take the next step elsewhere. The question is: where could he see himself playing?

“It’s difficult to say. I really enjoy playing in the Bundesliga to be honest. But there are a lot of great leagues, such as the Premier League, Serie A and La Liga,” Banks told Bulinews.com and reporters from other publications during a roundtable on Wednesday.

He went on to name a specific club that he’s always particularly liked.

“One of the clubs I idolized while growing up was Barcelona. I think I can say that’s my favorite club. So yeah, maybe one day it would be a dream to play for them, but let’s see what happens,” said Banks.

It’s no surprise, then, that Banks mentioned Lionel Messi as one of his biggest footballing idols and “the best player of all time.” As he also pointed out, however, the Argentine superstar plays in a very different role to himself.

In terms of defenders, Banks looked up to a 2014 German World Cup winner.

“My biggest idol growing up was Jérôme Boateng at Bayern,” he revealed.

“I really admired his playing style, and after the 2014 World Cup, where he performed so well, I became a big fan. I think there are some similarities in the way we play. Obviously I’m not at his level yet, but I can see a bit of that similarity.” 

Banks will be hoping for his second call-up to the senior United States national team in March. The Augsburg defender earned his first call-up to Mauricio Pochettino’s squad in September, but didn’t get to make his debut at that time.