Bayern talent Malik Tillman receives his first USA cap for close to a year as the PSV loanee gets international vindication for quitting Rangers.
The 22-year-old attacking midfielder came off the bench in the 3-0 victory over Uzebekistan to earn his fifth cap for the country and his first since last September.
Whilst Malik Tillman played against Japan and Saudi Arabia in late September last season after signing for Rangers on loan from Bayern, this is the kid’s first cap ever since.
In something of a poor indictment on both the standard of Rangers’ performances last season and on the Scottish game, Malik Tillman has been called back into the USA reckoning in the first window since moving to PSV Eindhoven.
Timothy Weah would open the scoring for the USA in the match, with Ricardo Pepi and Christian Pulisic both netting in injury time to add some gloss to the result after Malik Tillman had replaced Weston McKennie.
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Malik Tillman returns from USA in post-Rangers vindication
Rangers fans might have been frustrated with the situation involving Malik Tillman this summer, the Gers initially holding an exclusive option to buy over the Bayern talent.
Having scored 12 goals last season and picked up both the PFA Scotland and Rangers Young Player of the Year Awards, the club knew they potentially had something with the attacker.
But as the club entered the window interest from across Europe and the Premier League appeared to scupper Rangers’ plans and a return for Malik Tillman never seemed likely.
After the proposed transfer collapsed, Rangers boss Michael Beale would later explain that Bayern instantly activated a buy-back clause after the Ibrox club exercised their reported £5m loan option.
This meant Rangers were compensated north of £1m for the Malik Tillman loan and Bayern Munich would then go on to sign a new contract for the German-born USA talent.
Whilst there were murmurs of a potential loan return, Malik Tillman would move on loan to PSV with the Dutch club’s option said to be a more appropriate €15m (£13m).
With Malik Tillman playing in the Champions League demolition of Rangers by PSV, if this wasn’t vindication enough for choosing the Netherlands over Scotland, a recall to the USA side might well be.