One of the biggest professional soccer players in the history of America to play in European leagues, Claudio Reyna, was inspired by his parents.
Born on July 20, 1973, in Livingston, New Jersey, Claudio Alejandro Reyna is a former professional soccer player who is one of the first Americans to start his career in the professional European Leagues.
He started his career at a younger age and was a gifted passer who played midfielder as his main position.
During his earlier career, when he joined his high school team, St Benedict went undefeated for three years.
He was named one of the top ten New Jersey high school players as per The Star-Ledger, the largest circulated newspaper in the U.S.
Before his graduation in 1991, he was named to the U.S. U-17 national team, and his contribution led his team to win the FIFA U-17 World Cup.
Claudio’s professional career started when he debuted with Bayer Leverkusen of the Bundesliga in 1994. After two seasons with Leverkusen, he was moved to VfL Wolfsburg.
The professional player signed with Sunderland of the Premier League in 1999, where he played two seasons with the team before moving to Manchester City in 2001.
Claudio returned to America in 2003 to play for the New York Red Bulls of Major League Soccer (MLS). The player was named to the MLS All-Start team in 2003 and 2004.
He retired from professional soccer in 2008 at a considerably younger age, in his early 30s. Moreover, the player officially ended his international career with 8 goals and 111 caps.
Claudio Reyna Parents
The former professional soccer player was born to his parents, Miguel Reyna and Maria Silva.
As proud parents of the famous player, they can be considered the biggest fans of Claudio.
Claudio’s father, Miguel, was an Argentinian who moved to the U.S. in 1968.
He was selected in the youth system of Independiente and professionally with Los Andes, an Argentine Sports Club.
In the 1970s, Miguel settled in Springfield Township, New Jersey, United States.
Since Miguel was also a soccer player, it could be safe to say that Claudio was first inspired by his father and followed in his footsteps.
Claudio Reyna Wife & Children
In 1997, Claudio married to then a member of the U.S. women’s soccer team, Danielle Egan. She made six appearances with the U.S. national team in 1993.
The couple have had four children: Jack, the eldest child, was born in 1999 and died of brain cancer in 2012.
Giovanni, Joah-Mikel, and Carolina are the remaining children of the couple.
The second child, Giovanni, is named after former Rangers teammate Giovanni van Bronckhorst, a Dutch football manager and a former player.
Born on November 13, 2002, Giovanni is also an American professional soccer player who plays as an attacking midfielder for the Bundesliga club Borussia Dortmund. The player also plays for the national United States team.
Inspired by his parents, Giovanni started playing soccer and continues his parent’s legacy. He started playing soccer at an early age with his parents as his mentor.
Giovanni has already debuted for the U.S. national teams and represented the U.S. internationally in several youth-level games.s
Claudio has not only inspired his children but also paved the way for a new generation by being a role model. In fact, he is one of the most prominent figures in American soccer history.
After his retirement, the former player now works as a coach and sporting director. He also shows up as a television analyst on ESPN and Fox Sports.
