>Rumor of the week
>http://www.lionofviennasuite.com/2013/1/18/3890606/nigel-reo-coker-portland-timbers-red-bull-ny-mls-bolton-wanderers
>
>Are you ready to laugh a bit and maybe scratch your head?
>Rumor has it (via Prost Amerika) that Nigel Reo-Coker, yes,
>that central midfielder we all know and "love," is apparently
>on his way stateside to play for one of two MLS teams after
>turning down offers in Turkey. But wait, we haven't even hit
>the best part. Here's the kicker: he's apparently been
>promised a spot on the United States Men's National Team by
>head coach Jurgen Klinsmann. Yep, you read that correctly.
>
>Reo-Coker just left Championship side Ipswich Town last week
>and has burned bridges with four separate teams in England.
>According to the Prost report, Reo-Coker has turned down
>offers from Turkish sides Bursaspor (where current USMNTer
>Maurice Edu is on loan from Stoke) and Kasimpasa in order to
>move to MLS for three years. The two MLS sides vying for
>Reo-Coker's hands are supposedly Red Bull New York (Tim Ream's
>former club) and Portland Timbers.
>
>This is where it gets a bit interesting. Nigel Reo-Coker's
>wife is a Brooklyn, NY native and was complaining about issues
>with her UK visa on twitter:
>
>@SNickyy
>20 more business days till I get my passport/visa?! Expedite
>service my assss! Just wanna be with my husband!!😔 The
>UK is trying it 👎
>
>Red Bull NY would be the best fit as it would be close to his
>wife's home. The other connection with New York is that the
>club's Global Advisor is one Gerard Houllier, who managed
>Aston Villa just a few seasons back. While managing the
>Clarets, Houllier made Nigel Reo-Coker his captain.
>
>The strangest part of this whole rumor is the "fact" that
>Jurgen Klinsmann told Nigel Reo-Coker that he would be a
>"natural selection" for the United States Men's National Team.
>Reo-Coker only played for England at the U20 and U21 levels,
>never making an appearance for the senior side and thus not
>barring him from a FIFA-approved one-time nationality switch.
>How Reo-Coker would qualify for the United States is a
>different story because he does not (to our knowledge) have
>American heritage and would have to wait a few years (from the
>point where he gets a Green Card) to qualify through the
>marriage to his wife.
>
>Either way, the whole situation is massively strange. It would
>be an interesting move from an American perspective as NRC is
>28 years old and would be considered a relatively young
>transplant to a league that has gained an unfair reputation of
>being a retirement home for footballers.
>
>We'll keep you informed.