'I'm not just a runner' - USMNT's Brenden Aaronson on changing perceptions on his game and his Leeds revival

Statistically, at least on a basic level, the labels thrown Aaronson's way have some merit. The numbers, at least prior to his Leeds revival this season, weren't always there. The energy and effort, though? Those are easy to see. They're not tangible necessarily, but the eye test catches those things immediately.

Aaronson, though, wants to contribute in other ways. He understands his role and plays it well, but he knows there are more contributions to make. That's why that 15 and 15 sign is there. That's why he's challenging himself to be more.

His coach is doing that, too. Part of the reason Aaronson has thrived at Leeds is the belief of manager Daniel Farke, who has praised the American all through the season. The German coach welcomed Aaronson back with open arms this season and has spent the initial few months praising him for his commitment and, most importantly, his contributions.

With four goals so far, Aaronson is Leeds' second-leading scorer behind only Joel Piroe, who has six goals in 15 matches. The club currently sits third in the Championship as they battle for a Premier League return. Farke is pleased, but he's also a coach. He, like Aaronson, believes the trademark energy is the starting point, not the end-product.

“If he calms his game down in some moments, in some areas, he will be then in more interesting positions," Farke said. "There is always a bit more concentration to play the final pass or to be there with a better finish because, if you play football always with your pulse at 200 [beats per minute], it's always difficult to be calm and composed in the moment.

“This is what we're working a bit on. It's complicated because we don't want to take his strengths, his energy, away, but also to channel this energy a little bit more. If he's able to do this, then, he is an outstanding player for us anyway, we can speak even about the highest level with him. This is what we are constantly working on.”

The final third is Aaronson's big focus. At the top, top levels, that's the difference, right? The line between good and great is fine, and it basically exists entirely in that final third. This season has seen an improvement, and Aaronson just hopes to eventually earn some credit for that as he continues to shed the perceptions he developed over two difficult seasons.

He still has some work to do in that regard. His goals have been there this season, but his own aims are still so far away. There are aspects of his game that'll need refining, too. He's still adjusting to the rough and tumble Championship, a league where physicality is king. Aaronson is still adjusting to that physicality, along with the nonstop schedule, which is both a blessing and a curse.

"I've learned to move on from bad moments and get to the next game," Aaronson says, "because the thing that's amazing in the Championship, and when we're with the national team, it's always three days until the next game. You have three days until you get to go out there and show it again."

Aaronson, though, still needs to show more if he wants his work to be recognized. The path forward is easy, though: get stronger, cutdown on giveaways and, most importantly, provide the goals needed to push teams forward.

"My technical ability on the ball, I don't think I get a ton of credit for it," he says, "but whenever I'm playing consistent minutes, I always get going with assists, and I think the part of my game, dribbling and that type of thing, is kind of underrated. Even last game, I played, a ball through and we scored off of it, but it didn't count, of course. All of those little balls, like the pass before the pass, you don't always see those things."

He adds: "For me, it's about continuing to get goals and assists because that's something I want to be. I want to be that end-game guy where, by the end of the season, not only am I just doing stuff on the pitch, but getting the stats that my game shows."

Aaronson knew exactly what he was walking into. Well, walking back into, to be clear.

After Leeds' relegation from the Premier League, Aaronson temporarily left, spending a season with Union Berlin in the Bundesliga. It didn't quite go to plan. He scored just twice in 30 appearances, following up on a debut season at Leeds with just one goal in 40 games. He returned to Leeds this summer without much fanfare. Those that did make noise about his return weren't overly positive.

"Honestly, it was tough," Aaronson admits. "At first, it's tough because you're in your head. You're thinking negative things. You're coming back to the team saying, 'What are they gonna think about me?' You're worried about the fans. It's never easy, but I showed up and I just did my thing. I had to prove myself. I had to be confident going in there and show them that I am a great player.

"It wasn't easy but, for me, you know that you're going to hear stuff all the time in media, what fans think, but you still have to go in there."

Aaronson, in his own words, had "unfinished business." Fans, meanwhile, speculated that Leeds were stuck with him. After paying nearly £25 million to sign him from RB Salzburg, getting a similar type of return for him would be almost impossible. That was speculation, though. Really, Leeds boss Farke thought he could use him.

Leeds have certainly benefitted. Aaronson's big goal of 15 and 15 may still be a ways away but Leeds fans are already back on his side. They're even singing his song again, hailing him as the club's American Boy.

"I knew going back, it was gonna be tight," he says. "I knew they were gonna have feelings, which are justified. I left and it was difficult, but I think really I felt it [turning around] when I scored that second goal against Sheffield Wednesday. Then I just kept putting performances together. I just felt it.

"Listen, there are always going to be people that don't like you at the end. There are always going to be people who are going to be saying stuff, but I don't really pay attention to that. It has been nice to hear my song a few times, though. That always gives you so much confidence."

That confidence wasn't always there. Aaronson admits that, for a little while, it did disappear almost entirely.

His first season at Leeds was hard, the hardest of his professional career. He'd thrived everywhere he'd been prior. In Philadelphia, he was the local golden child, the homegrown star that has since become the face of an academy. He found his time at Salzburg to be productive, too, scoring nine goals while providing nine assists en route to two league titles and two Austrian Cups.

But Leeds? The Premier League? It was a wake-up call, one that showed just how much more Aaronson had left to learn.

"I came in right away and I played directly," he says. "I was bought for $28 million or something, and I have to come in and deliver like this. When you're 21, it's difficult because the league's different. Your team's different. You see a lot of guys go over there and they need one or two years to adjust. It's not something where you can just go like this, you know? Honestly, I started amazingly when I went there. It wasn't the start. It was just my ability to keep doing it. I think that was the biggest thing."

For Aaronson, it was all about rediscovering that belief. He can pinpoint the moment he lost it a bit: after the 2022 World Cup. His experience in Qatar was great, but, after his return to Leeds, it felt like everything snowballed. He never quite regained his rhythm in the second half of that season and it all got worse from there as the club slumped to relegation.

"When I left, I had to leave for my head," he admits. "I was in a tough place. I was young. I think I needed a change of scenery."

Union Berlin was a weird one, he admits. It wasn't until the end of the season he really felt like he was contributing. A pair of late goals that season proved to be the spark he needed to get going, though. As he marched back to Leeds, he thought about those goals and the rest is now history.

"Right now I feel great," he says. "I feel like I'm on top of my game. I think confidence, as professional athletes, that's probably the biggest thing. You need confidence. I've always been a confident guy. I've always been someone that, when I step on the pitch, I do my thing, but I think the last two years were a test of my character. I want to say it was something that I needed to go through because it brought the best out of me. I think that everybody goes through ups and downs, besides maybe Messi and Ronaldo. There are going to be seasons where you don't play, there's going to be injuries, there's going to be stuff like this.

"To come back to Leeds and have to fight my way back into the team and show all the supporters why I'm here and what I want to do for this team, that was the biggest thing for me. I think I came back and I did that. It wasn't easy in moments, but I'm proud of myself, and, yeah, it's made me the person I am today."

All eyes are on the 2026 World Cup, Aaronson included. Every USMNT camp brings that big moment closer.

About a year and a half out, Aaronson's USMNT role remains unclear. His versatility is one of his biggest assets, but also might hold him back just a bit. Due to his aforementioned energy, he's a fantastic supersub, one that can impact a game as a 10, eight or on the wing.

"Everywhere I've gone, I've played [as a No. 10]," Aaronson says. "I'm a box-to-box midfielder, yes, but, for me, being able to progress the attack and get the ball in my feet and be able to create things, that's, for me, the best. That's the best position for me because I can advance the attack, I can play the final ball, I can get in the box and score. That's really the best."

Mauricio Pochettino has already put a lot of faith in him. He started Aaronson in both games in his first camp, and trusted Aaronson to play his way out of a difficult start in Mexico. Ahead of his first camp, Pochettino said one of his goals was to find one position for Aaronson to focus on and help him become the best he can in that spot.

"He's done a great job with him and his team showing us how we want to play," Aaronson says. "Of course, we need to keep working on it. It's not going to be a finished product right away, but I think by watching film, by doing the little things that we could do on the pitch, it's been really good. Listen, I've looked up to him as a coach. I think the way that his Tottenham team played, the way his Chelsea team played, I love the way they play football. It really is awesome to be able to work under him."

Aaronson could be a player that benefits massively from life under Pochettino. The Argentine has relied on high-energy players every step of the way, building teams that could go out and beat the very best. They did so despite having a little bit less talent, but they made up for it with hustle and effort.

It takes a bit more than that, too. It takes a timely goal or two to go out and take on the elite. Aaronson knows that as well as anyone. He knows how much a goal or two can change a narrative, win back a fanbase or bring back the confidence that had been lost along the way.

The aim is 15 and 15. That's the note Aaronson will look at to remind himself every day of what he's shooting for. A few big ones will do, though. He'll chase those big moments with energy and intensity. That is what he's known for, after all.