‘No experience is a bad experience’ – USMNT star Matt Turner reflects on tough Nottingham Forest campaign for both himself and Gio Reyna

Both Turner and Reyna had difficult seasons at Forest, with both heading towards the Copa America lacking minutes.

Reyna joined Forest in January on loan from Borussia Dortmund. The move was made to get Reyna valuable playing time, having fallen down the pecking order at Dortmund. It never came, though, as he played less than 300 minutes during his time in England.

The midfielder will once again be a key figure for the U.S. this summer, and Turner backed Reyna to come out of his Forest experience as a player, even with the difficulties.

“No experience is a bad experience,” Turner said. “He came to training every single day with a good attitude. I think you guys saw that. After he came in January, maybe it wasn’t going the best in the beginning for him at Forest, and then he showed up and got Player of the Tournament in the Nations League, so he’s working really hard.

He is in the form that we all expect him to be in. He brings a quality to training every time he steps out there, and he’s really matured a lot. I’ve watched him grow up a little bit in this new experience away from sort of his boyhood club as well. He’s made connections with new guys and it’s been really fun to see him grow on the pitch and off the pitch and get that Premier League experience as well under his belt.”

Turner himself had a difficult year at Forest after joining the club during the summer transfer window. He made the move to become a starter after a season on Arsenal’s bench but, by the second half of the season, he’d lost that spot.

Turner’s most recent Premier League minutes came all the way back in January, a concern for the USMNT. He remains the national team’s No. 1, but Turner knows he’ll have to maintain his level after a difficult season.

“Fortunately, but also unfortunately, for me, it’s not the first time I’ve had to go through periods like that in my life and my career,” Turner said. “For me, I approach training every single day with the same mentality whether I’m playing or whether I’m not. I work really, really hard. I try to get better in every area that I can and just be ready. I prepare for games I’m going to be playing, as exhausting as that can be, and I hope that maybe my name will be on the team sheet for that game, even when I know probably, in the back of my mind, it’s not. I prepare like maybe it will be because what if it is?

“I try to just maintain that level of professionalism every single day, every training session, and just keep going and understanding that obviously, if I want to keep this shirt here, I’ve got to perform when I come here, so I have to stay engaged. I have to stay ready and focused and driven.”

Despite their club struggles, the two Nottingham Forest stars picked up awards during their most recent USMNT appearances. As Turner said, Reyna was given the Best Player award during the CONCACAF Nations League behind two goals and two assists. Turner, meanwhile, was recognized as the Best Goalkeeper for his performances.

The USMNT is gathering for upcoming friendlies against Colombia and Brazil, which serve as the final pre-Copa America preparation matches. After that, the tournament will kick off as the U.S. faces Bolivia, Panama and Uruguay in the group stage.