Tajon Buchanan #17

Profile

In a world where modern wingers can sometimes look robotic, Buchanan is old-school: an unpredictable attacker who loves to take on defenders using an arsenal of body feints, stepovers and flicks. A late bloomer who emerged from the NCAA college system, he made his name with MLS side New England Revolution from 2019. Buchanan developed the defensive side of his game so well that he played as a full-back for Club Brugge and wing-back at Inter in Serie A. He has always been most comfortable on the wing, though, and a move to Spain with Villarreal last year allowed him to return to that position, to the benefit of club and country. A quiet, serious character, Buchanan has had to show real resilience to progress in the game. His father died when he was just seven, and he left home at 15 to move to Colorado with his friend’s family. “I’m more introverted. It all comes naturally to me,” he told The Athletic. “Since I was a teenager, I’ve been away from home, alone, trying to chase my dream.”

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