Jermaine Jones of Besiktas, who is on the U.S. men’s national soccer team, nearly went to the United States to play in Major League Soccer before joining the Turkish squad.
“I was thinking about it,” the midfielder told MLS Soccer.
“But I wanted to play in the Champions League and obviously MLS teams don’t play in the Champions League. There were no offers or talks but yeah, it was something that I was thinking about.”
Jones spent 15 years in the German Bundesliga, but transferred from Schalke to Besiktas on a six-month loan that has an option for an extension. If not, Jones becomes a free agent and perhaps will move to the U.S.
However, Jones has had a good time with his new team.
“I really like it,” Jones said. “The supporters are some of the best I’ve seen anywhere in the world. I’ve settled in really well and it helps when you’re living in a city like Istanbul. It’s a great club and a great place to live.”
“I was talking with some other teams, too,” he continued. “In the end, I always said to my wife that I wanted a chance to play in the Champions League again and live in a big city, so Besiktas and Istanbul made complete sense for me. When I heard that they wanted me it was an easy decision.”
Jones also said that he feels comfortable playing in the World Cup alongside Michael Bradley at midfield.
“I feel very comfortable playing with Michael,” Jones said . “I think we understand each other well and I enjoy playing that position with him. We’ve now played together for three years and I think both of us will speak only good stuff about each other.”
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