'Wise beyond his years' - USMNT head coach Gregg Berhalter salutes Michael Bradley ahead of retirement

USMNT head coach Gregg Berhalter called Michael Bradley «wise beyond his years» ahead of his retirement this Saturday.

WHAT HAPPENED? The former USMNT midfielder will hang up his boots after playing the final game of his career against Orlando City SC this weekend in MLS. Bradley is the third-highest-capped United States player of all time with 151 appearances, after Cobi Jones and Landon Donovan.

USMNT manager Berhalter turned back the pages to recall an incident before the 2006 World Cup and hailed Bradley as «wise beyond his years» before congratulating him on an incredible career.

WHAT THEY SAID: «Great career, both for the U.S. men's national team and for his club career. I remember the 2006 World Cup, he was joining the team to train with us before we left for Germany, and I sat next to him at one dinner and I remember just talking to him and hearing from him and, at that time, he was wise beyond his years,» he told reporters.

«Who would've known that he'd go on to have such a fantastic career? A very, very smart player, very determined player. He had almost everything in terms of the qualities you'd want in a player and a teammate. He's very competitive and it's no surprise that he played on some really strong U.S. teams. The 2010 World Cup, front and center for that, and then in the 2014 World Cup as well. So, overall, congratulations to Michael on a great career.»

THE BIGGER PICTURE: Bradley has had an illustrious career, winning the MLS Cup and the Supporters' Shield with Toronto FC and also lifting the Canadian Championship four times. On the international stage, he won the Gold Cup with the USMNT twice, in 2007 and 2017, respectively.

Bradley also boasts of playing in Europe for a significant time while turning out