United States national team interim head coach Anthony Hudson has offered a positive update on wonderkid Folarin Balogun.

Balogun visited Orlando where the USMNT was training during the last international break after pulling out of the England Under 21 team due to injury.

While in Florida he met with the US team as he decides whether he wants to play for the US, England or Nigeria at the senior international level.

‘We had some very good conversations with Flo and his agent, just sharing what we do, talking to him about where we see him in our team, allowing him just to get a feel for the country, the team, the guys,’ Hudson told reporters on Tuesday. 

‘The conversations went really, really well, and then, since he and his agent went back to Europe, there have just been a couple of text messages and now it’s down to him to make a decision.’ 

Interim USMNT head coach Anthony Hudson said talks with Folarin Balogun went ‘really well’

Balogun has been amongst the goal leaders in Ligue 1 this year and is weighing his options

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Balogun has scored 17 goals this season for Reims and is among the top of the Ligue 1 goal scoring charts.

The United States is set to play Mexico in their next match in a friendly later this month, however the squad is expected to be comprised of almost entirely Major League Soccer players.

Balogun has not only been a topic of conversation in the US but also back in England where the loanee’s parent club Arsenal calls home.

Speaking in a recent press conference, Gareth Southgate said: ‘It is up to the player to weigh up where his heart feels. Is he prepared to wait a little bit for an opportunity if he backs himself and feels he can push his way into our squad? 

‘Because anybody who has followed us will know that we will give young players a chance. So, we cannot go and give first-team call-ups to someone just because we don’t want them to go somewhere else.

‘We like Flo. He has obviously not had an opportunity in the Premier League yet, so we have to weigh up those goals to Ivan [Toney], for example, or Ollie Watkins. Or Eddie Nketiah, who has done really well with the opportunity he has had at Arsenal.

‘I know there are going to be offers as 80 per cent of our players can play for more than one country now, and we are not arrogant expecting everybody to want to come to play for England. We have to make them feel wanted and feel part of that.’

‘Ultimately, it does not matter what you say. If you cannot give them the opportunity now, then some people are patient and want to see it through and are prepared to wait a bit and others want it now and I can totally understand that.’ 

He recently made a trip to Florida and had talks with the USMNT during the international break