Who is Reggie Cannon and what can Boavista fans expect? The expert view on the Boavista-bound star

Boavista are set to complete the signing of United States international right back Reggie Cannon to fill the void left behind by the departure of Carraca.

To find out more about the talented 22-year old, we spoke to Ross Hall of OneGoal, an American website specialising in football in the country, who told us what Cannon could offer Boavista and what to expect:

What can fans of Boavista expect from Reggie Cannon? Is he a prospect for the future, or a player that can make an immediate impact?

Reggie Cannon is ready for first-team football. He has been playing for FC Dallas' first-team since he was 18 and he's been impressing everyone since then too. He's ready to make an impact on a European team and help them win games. I'm not sure that he would agree to the move if a lot of playing time wasn't expected.

What would you say are his major strengths?

In my opinion, Cannon's biggest strength is his strong mentality. He is intelligent and has a welcoming personality. In interviews with him, you can see how mature he is for a 22-year-old. As a defender, he won't switch off or be caught sleeping on a play. In the summer of 2019 Cannon was a late addition to the USMNT roster due to another player being injured, yet Cannon went on to win the starting spot for the Gold Cup and is now a part of the leadership team during National Team camps.

Cannon's grandfather on his mother's side, Dr. Warren Washington, is actually a Nobel Prize winning scientist and climate change researcher. So intelligence runs in his family.

Conversely, what areas of his game does he still have to work on?

While Cannon can and does provide in the attack, it's not what he is known for. In today's modern game of football where width often comes from fullbacks, Cannon provides assists and even a goal every so often, but he could look to become even more dangerous in the final third. 

What do fans in his home country think about the move – are they surprised that he is set to join Boavista over other clubs?

Absolutely. No one was expecting Cannon to go to Boavista. Most would have predicted the Bundesliga in Germany or the English Championship as his most likely destination.  I think most fans see Cannon just being in Europe as one step closer to him fulfilling his potential.

He is predominantly a right-back, but can he also operate further forwards, or play in a different position altogether?

Yes, he can play further up the field. In FC Dallas' biggest game of 2019, he actually started in a right-midfield/right-wing role and looked great there. He scored his team's first goal of the game and as a team, they scored 3. However, FC Dallas might have missed him on the backline as they lost the game 4-3 in extra time.

Obviously Cannon has never played outside America – how do you think he will cope with not only heading to a new league, but a new continent? Do you think it will be a seamless transition, or will he require some time to adapt?

I always expect some period of acclimation or getting used to a new country and league for any player, but seeing as he has a strong mentality already, I would expect this to be a challenge he embraces and I could see him starting and performing well from the very first game onwards.

Reggie Cannon is obviously a regular for the national team – are there expectations in the US that he will be one of the stars of the future for the country?

I wouldn't say the expectation for him is to be a star for the national team, but definitely someone who will play a lot, and play well. He is someone I think most US fans would be comfortable with to be in the line up against just about any team. Overall I think he will be a part of almost every roster and especially in big tournaments, but he may not always be a starting right-back with the emergence of Sergino Dest. But since he's a player with a strong mentality, good personality, and is highly liked and admired by teammates, even just having him there in camp is positive.

How do fans of FC Dallas feel about Cannon leaving the club? What has the reaction been like?

It's a bittersweet moment. It's good for the club to show their players that they have a willingness to move players on when they ask for it. But FC Dallas has lost a number of players or youth players over the years, so I'm sure they aren't the most excited about losing another one of their talents. But because Cannon was so liked and admired, the fan reaction has mostly been wishing the player the best of luck and wanting to see him succeed.

Just how good can Reggie Cannon be?

Cannon can be a defender for a top half of the table team in a top-five league. The question is will he be able to offer enough in the attack for those top clubs to choose him. Even if he doesn't end up on a top-level team, I think he will have a long successful career in Europe and be a big part of the national team in big tournaments and games for us.

Is Boavista viewed as a stepping stone for Cannon to move onto bigger things, and do you feel that the Primeira Liga is a good stage for him to introduce himself to European football?

I don't think fans know whether to view Boavista as a stepping stone, but they are hoping that it is. Most people thought he was ready for a league like the Bundesliga. It's not to say that they're disappointed in the move because they will still watch what happens in Portugal closely and with a lot of excitement, but there will be the line of thinking of "What will this lead to?" And with the reported connections of Boavista and Lille OSC's owner, many are seeing and hoping that this would be his next step taken before too long.

With thanks to the insight provided by Ross Hall. You can follow OneGoal (@OneGoalUS) on Twitter here - and can also visit the OneGoal website via this link.