Antonee Robinson 'astounded' After Being Named USA Men's Player of the Year
Click to start listening
New Delhi, Jan 5 (NationPress) Defender Antonee Robinson of the U.S. Men’s National Team has been celebrated as the 2024 U.S. Soccer Male Player of the Year after an exceptional year in which he participated in all 11 matches he was eligible for, played in all four of the USA's shutouts in 2024, and delivered the game-winning assist in the Concacaf Nations League Quarterfinals against Jamaica.
Robinson has emerged as one of the leading full-backs in the English Premier League with Fulham FC, where he also clinched the 2023-24 Player of the Year title for his club.
This marks Robinson’s inaugural win of the U.S. Soccer Male Player of the Year award, despite having been nominated in 2022. Established in 1984, a total of 27 players have received this accolade. At 27 years old, Robinson is the first defender to achieve this honor since Oguchi Onyewu in 2006.
“It’s a tremendous honor,” Robinson stated. “Representing our nation is not about personal achievements. It’s always about prioritizing the team and striving to do my utmost for my teammates and for our country, so being recognized for that is an extraordinary feeling.”
Robinson was taken by surprise with the announcement during an interview with Tim Howard, a U.S. Men’s National Team legend and two-time recipient of the U.S. Soccer Male Player of the Year award. This interview first aired on the Premier League Mornings show and subsequently on La Liga Premier: Extra before the Fulham-Ipswich Town match. Both players share a history as former members of Everton Football Club.
“I probably appeared a bit foolish because I was so stunned!” Robinson remarked. “I thought it was merely a standard interview with Tim about how the season was progressing, so when he informed me of my win, I was in utter disbelief, as it was the last thing I anticipated. Of course, Tim had an extraordinary career with the National Team and at the club level, so it was a thrill to receive that news from him.”
In a competitive nominee pool that included Folarin Balogun, Ricardo Pepi, Christian Pulisic, and Tim Ream, Robinson garnered 55 percent of the weighted vote. Votes for the U.S. Soccer Male Player of the Year come from fans, National Team coaches, USMNT players with caps in 2024, members of the U.S. Soccer Board of Directors, the U.S. Soccer Athletes’ Council, head coaches and sporting directors from professional leagues, select media representatives, and former players and administrators.
As a dual citizen of the United States and England, Robinson participated in the second-most matches and minutes of his career during a calendar year in 2024. The U.S. recorded all four of its clean sheets this year with Robinson dominating the left flank, including the significant “dos a cero” victory against Mexico in the 2024 Concacaf Nations League Final and the crucial 1-0 shutout against Jamaica in the quarterfinals of the 2025 tournament.
At the club level, Robinson has solidified his reputation as a top performer in the Premier League at his position. Having captured the Fulham 2023-24 Player of the Year award, he concluded this year with 10 assists across 37 games, four more than any other defender in the league and ranking within the top 10 across all players. Now serving as captain, he has already provided seven assists in 19 matches during the current season, tying for third among all Premier League players—two of which occurred in the exhilarating 2-2 draw against league leaders Liverpool on December 14. Robinson is the third player associated with Fulham to earn this prestigious recognition, following in the footsteps of Clint Dempsey (2007, 2011, 2012) and Kasey Keller (1997, 1999, 2005).
