'I broke down' - Patrick Agyemang reveals honest Derby County truth | OneFootball

The USMNT international's injury misfortune saw him miss out on featuring in a 'home' World Cup

With the FIFA World Cup just days away from getting underway across the Atlantic in the United States, Canada and Mexico, there is set to be a fair amount of EFL representation on football's greatest stage.

Although the tournament has come under intense scrutiny as a result of matters away from the field, millions from across the world will still be tuning in to hopefully see their respective nations achieve some form of greatness.

It is the first World Cup to also feature 48 teams, meaning the final does not take place until Sunday, July 19th at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, with the first encounter taking place between Mexico and South Africa on Thursday, June 11th at 8PM UK time.

For many players, their own performances in the tournament could help land them a dream transfer move to divisions such as the Premier League, although the ever-growing standard of the Championship and the finances on offer in the EFL's highest league means that some could potentially link up with one of the upcoming 24 sides in 2026/27.

One of the pre-existing figures who has caught the eye at various points in the past 12 months, for his performances on the pitch, as well as a rather hefty price-tag, was USMNT international forward, Patrick Agyemang, who moved from MLS outfit, Charlotte FC, to Derby County for a reported initial £7.3m fee 11 months ago.

However, the 25-year-old, who had attracted Premier League interest due to his goalscoring exploits, has missed out on a place in Mauricio Pochettino's squad due to well-documented injury misfortune, which he has since opened up on.

Patrick Agyemang opens up on Derby County injury heartache ahead of United States' 'home' World Cup

The striker only made his USMNT debut in January 2025, just six months before moving to Pride Park under John Eustace, having become one of the MLS' most potent goalscorers.

Agyemang was able to carry such form over to the Championship, striking up a neat partnership with the experienced Carlton Morris - who had also suffered injury issues - with a tally of 10 goals and four assists in his first 38 appearances.

However, the last of those would come on Easter Monday in the home win over Stoke City, where he was substituted on 41 minutes after suffering a serious achilles tendon injury.

As a result, it has been well-documented that he would miss his nation's 'home' tournament, in which they face off against Paraguay, Australia and Türkiye in Group D.

After watching the Stars and Stripes' 3-2 win over Senegal in a warm-up friendly over the weekend from the stands, Agyemang said on his injury misfortune: "It hurts. It's difficult, but obviously that's life. I decided to take this route, and I know it comes with it, the good that you guys see, me enjoying playing, scoring, and then the bad, which is this situation.

"Maybe 10, 15 seconds after I was on the ground, I turned back and I saw no one kicked me. I thought someone kicked me. But no one was there, and that's when everything started to hit," the forward added.

"I touched the back of my leg, and I didn't feel my Achilles. I broke down, because I just knew, “World Cup consideration is gone. Who knows how I'm going to recover? The summer and all this excitement, this potential, for nothing," he stated.

"It felt like it just all went away so quick, so it was difficult. But now, (I realize) it was worse in my mind, than it is (in reality). Now, with so much support, so many people showing love, I'm in a good space."

Patrick Agyemang will be a huge miss for the opening months of Derby County's season

Throughout his first months in the English game, Agyemang's well-rounded nature as a centre-forward earned him plenty of plaudits, and he was a strong factor in the Rams' play-off push which, ultimately, fell flat on the final day of the season.

It has been widely reported that the striker would be out of action for approximately nine months, which, when taking the initial date of the achilles issue into account, means a recovery span lasting until the final weeks of 2026 and the start of 2027.

As such, Eustace may feel the urge to add further firepower to plug such a gap, especially if reported investment from Saudi boxing mogul, Turki Alalshikh, goes through to help another potential promotion push, due to the increased number of sides involved in the play-offs.