D.C. United Homegrown goalkeeper Bill Hamid had a standout year in MLS. He deservedly earned a spot on the United States Men's National Team Roster for its friendlies in London, England against Colombia, then in Dublin, Ireland against Ireland. After a few days of training, we caught up with Hamid ahead of the squad's first match in London (Friday, 11/14 at 2:30 ET, ESPN).
How is London treating you?
Bill Hamid: London is great, besides the sun not shining and the constant drizzle of rain, I'm loving every minute of it. From the architecture to the atmosphere, it's one of the most beautiful cities in the world.
Did it take you a little while to adjust to the time change?
Hamid: It wasn't too difficult coming from the east coast. I prepared myself for the time change by sleeping early on the red eye flight over, so it wasn't too bad.
How are you feeling physically, coming right out of a long MLS season and going right into intense training with the National Team?
Hamid: I feel great physically, but physically is only a small bit of this life of an athlete. I put in a lot of training and extra work this year, so mentally I know I'm prepared & strong enough to come into any sort of rigorous training environment and perform to the best of my abilities.
You are one of four 'keepers with the National Team for these friendlies, what is the dynamic like between you four?
Hamid: The dynamic is professional and friendly. Everyone knows this is a competition, but your competition isn't the one with the final decisions, the coaches are. So we remember that at the end of the day we are teammates and there's a bigger goal than any individual's dreams or goals. The team's goal is most important. So we all support each other to help the team.
What is the biggest thing you learned from this season with United that you took with you into your training session with the National Team?
Hamid: Work hard at all times. Every drill, every rep, every bit of information matters, so make sure to pay attention to detail in every training session.
I saw your Instagrams this morning, it looks like you're having a great time there. What does a normal day look like for you? Is seeing tourist attractions just a perk on an off day?
Hamid: We have no off days. Training sessions are in the morning and afternoon with team meals in between. We've had the privilege to train at Fulham FC & Tottenham FC's new state of the art training centre, eat first-class meals prepared by their chefs and train again after lunch, with dinners on our own to see the city a little bit.
What are you hoping to get out of this week or so of training and these two friendlies?
Hamid: More experience. These experiences are vital for me. To train with the best players, medical staff and coaches and to prove to myself that I can play at the top level is key. I want to show that I can one day be a leader for the USA Men's National Team and just get myself as prepared as possible for when my time comes so I can perform to the best of my abilities when my name is called upon between the sticks.
Make sure to follow Bill Hamid on Twitterand Instagram to keep up with him while training with the USMNT.
