- Turner embracing competition at Forest
- Goalkeeper explains decision to leave Arsenal
- USMNT set for two friendlies
WHAT HAPPENED? Turner completed a transfer to Forest this summer as he left the Emirates to pursue a starting spot int he Premier League. Through the first five games of the season, Turner has been Forest's No. 1, with U.S. men's national team teammate Ethan Horvath serving as his backup. His most recent performance saw him earn a clean sheet in a win over Chelsea ahead of the international break.
However, Forest recently completed a £7.7 million ($9.7m) deal to sign Greek international Odysseas Vlachodimos from Benfica, where he'd been a starter for the last several seasons. That could be a cause for concern for Turner, but he says he's embracing the competition he'll face after the international break is over.
WHAT THEY SAID: "I feel like I've adapted pretty well to the move ," Turner said. "I'm excited to have had the opportunity to be there and play games and compete. I think it's easy to get into the mode where you're comfortable not competing and just collecting your paycheck and showing up for work and I think the reason I fell in love with the game was that competition element of it all.
"Speaking of competition, anywhere you play in the Premier League, it's the best league in the world and you're going to have competition for spots and if we want to be the club that we want to be going forward, you're going to have to have competition all over the pitch every day in training just to combat complacency and everything.
"I'm looking forward to challenges. I'm looking forward to, to fighting and, ultimately, I want to play as many games as possible and keep that feeling going of competing on the pitch."
AND WHAT'S MORE: Turner also opened up on his decision to leave Arsenal, having featured as Aaron Ramsdale's backup during his first and only season in London. Turner played seven matches across the different cup competitions last season and, towards the end of that season, he knew that his future would lie elsewhere.
"I think towards the end of the season when I felt like there was games that I could have been playing that I wasn't even getting really a sniff of them," Turner said. "I was training really well, doing, I felt like, everything in my power to get myself minutes on the team and that just wasn't happening for me. I knew that if I waited another year, it probably would have been more challenging for me to make a lateral move within the Premier League, so I knew that time was of the essence at that point.
"If I went another season without playing, I would have probably had to take a step back and once you're out of it, it's hard to get back into it, especially when you're not English. I'd say that probably towards the the end of the season and credit to Aaron, really, because he brought it every single day. When he had opportunities, when doors were cracked open, he always slammed it back shut. I think he's a really talented goalkeeper, and I think we always pushed each other to get better."
THE BIGGER PICTURE: Turner getting consistent minutes will be vital for the USMNT, with the Forest goalkeeper still the team's No. 1. He's currently in USMNT camp alongside the likes of Horvath and Drake Callendar and is expected to be the team's starter as this 2026 World Cup cycle truly kicks off.
IN THREE PHOTOS:
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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR TURNER? Turner and the USMNT are set for a pair of friendlies this week, starting with Saturday's match against Uzbekistan in St. Louis. They'll then head to Minnesota to face Oman on September 12.