U.S. U-20 Goalie Jonathan Klinsmann Signs With Bundesliga’s Hertha Berlin

United States under-20 goalkeeper Jonathan Klinsmann may not be very well-known, but he is now headed to Germany.

Jonathan Klinsmann US U-20 Goalie Hertha Berlin

The 20-year-old California native and son of former U.S. Men’s National Team coach Jurgen Klinsmann had a trial with Hertha Berlin that began July 3, and it was announced on Monday that he will join the Bundesliga club’s under-23 team in the regional fourth division in order to gain experience.

Hertha’s coach Michael Preetz praised Klinsmann — who is an incoming junior at U.C. Berkley — in a statement on Tuesday, saying: “Jonathan has convinced us with his talent, his charisma and his ambition.”

Goalie coach Zsolt Perry lauded Klinsmann’s “calmness and confidence” before adding: “He’s got a very good right foot and is on a good technical and athletic level.”

Klinsmann told Hertha how excited he is to join the club.

“This morning after breakfast, Michael Preetz told me about the club’s contract decision,” he told the club’s official website. “This was a very emotional moment for me, because this club has a history within our family. I am looking forward to getting to know everyone at the club, the city of Berlin and the challenge in Germany.”

Klinsmann’s grandfather, Siegfried, is a Hertha fans and his father is a legend in Germany. Jurgen Klinsmann hails from a suburb of Stuttgart and played for the town’s team among other European clubs (Inter Milan, AS Monaco, Bayern Munich) before serving as a manager for the German national team, Bayern Munich, and the U.S.

Jurgen has long pushed for young U.S. soccer players to compete in Europe in order to improve their skills.

Jonathan Klinsmann was honored at the CONCACAF Under-20 Championship in Costa Rica last March as the tournament’s best goalie. He played in five of six games to hep the Americans claim their first U-20 regional title.

Klinsmann then started all five games at the U-20 World Cup, where he allowed six goals and the U.S. reached the quarterfinals.

The youngster also received offers from other German teams including Eintracht Braunschweig, but said Hertha gave him “a good feeling,” and added: “It’s important in life to take risks.”

“To learn from [senior keepers] Rune [Jarstein] and Thomas [Kraft] and to get accustomed to the level of play through games for the second team is a great opportunity. It’s a chance you just need to grab.”

Details of Klinsmann’s contract were not immediately made available.