I was shocked by Pep Guardiola at Man City but he changed me - now I want to change the lives of others

Zack Steffen lets out a knowing laugh. "Ahhh it's crazy out here."

The topic has turned to the US election and whether the former Manchester City is a political man. The answer is not really but there will have been no hiding from the seismic result this week as Donald Trump returned to the White House.

Many will be intrigued to see what the future holds, including Steffen, who is now back in his homeland. He returned to the States this year with a switch to Colorado Rapids. Their campaign ended in play-off defeat but the 29-year-old enjoyed a strong campaign that earned him a recall to the USA national team, and he is happy to be home, closer to family and in a part of the world he enjoys exploring.

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For Steffen, football is a part of life and not the be-all and end-all. He recently welcomed a daughter and has wider interests having set up a charity four years ago to help provide brighter futures to young kids.

A conversation with the 'keeper goes deeper than saves, shots and scorelines. Faith plays a huge role in the goalkeeper's life. He was in a Bible Study with a half dozen teammates immediately prior to this interview.

And, in a modern world that can sometimes seem divisive and often poses challenges to many, Steffen is acutely aware of the bigger picture.

"It is easy to lose faith, for sure," he muses in a broad cross-Atlantic chat. "I find myself doing that same thing and faith definitely helps, it has taught me that everything happens for a reason. We all want our plan to be positively progressing straightforward and up and that is just not how the world works. There are going to be dips and trials and challenges.

"You ask God for patience and he is not just going to give you patience, he is going to put you in positions where you have to grow that patience. Faith has helped me better understand and handle different situations in life."

Steffen has tried to use his career and platform to improve the lives of young people in the States. The Covid lockdown prompted him to launch his charity Voycenow.

The 'keeper was playing in Germany at the time with Fortuna Dusseldorf, and the tragic murder of George Floyd prompted a conversation about how that type of incident could still be allowed to happen. That chat spawned Voycenow.

"I saw the video and I was talking to my good friend Alex Crognale (himself a footballer) and we were saying 'this is ridiculous, it is 2020 and how can we be watching this'. So we were saying 'how can we help spread positivity?' so we decided to create a charity that focused on the next generation and kids.

"We are trying to give those kids resources, whether it is books, backpacks, WiFi, sports. mental health, being active in sports, nutrition and education - those are our four pillars and what we believe are the most critical things for kids to focus on.

"We want to do our part, raise money and give our time and go and meet and hang out with these kids and provide some hope and motivation and give them some support and love that they might need.

"I am the oldest of five and I was raised to treat others how you want to be treated and be a good person and lend a helping hand. Those are characteristics that my mum ingrained to me and my siblings. I want the world to be doing the same thing, I am just trying to do my bit and lead my example."

It's a noble quest and turning the conversation to football seems somewhat trivial. But to football we go and to reflect on his time at Manchester City.

It yielded the obvious highs of joining such a powerhouse of football, lifting the League Cup and playing in huge Premier League and Champions League matches. There was the positive of learning from the best players and manager in the business, and the negative of a couple of high-profile mistakes and a lack of playing time. It was a whirlwind time and one that Steffen reflects on with pride.

"They were incredible to play for, the whole club," he begins. "It is a big family club with an incredible support system so overall my time was pretty short but I got so much out of it. I learned a lot about myself and from them. I will be forever grateful for them treating me well, supporting me and pushing me to grow on and off the field."

The 2019 switch from Columbus Crew was a move too good to turn down and one Steffen took a little convincing to believe was true when his agent phoned. He knew matches would be hard to come by given the quality at City's disposal but he also knew the merits of testing himself in the best league in the world and working with the greatest modern manager.

So how was life under Pep?

"It was very eye opening," he said, pointing to the mental development as much as the football experience. "The focus, the commitment, the demand he had on his players in each and every training session to be as good as you can and to believe you are better than you are. He would push that every day.

"He believed in all his players and that is how he gets the best out of them with that demand and belief and throwing that confidence at you but also pushing you very hard and expecting a lot from you. You have to do that every day again and again and again."

Steffen admits he hasn't really sat back and reflected, instead opting to focus on learning and ultimately turning his attention towards a route to regular football given Ederson stood in his path at the Etihad.

"The first year I was just in awe!" he recalls. "I was like a sponge trying to soak up everything. I wanted to push Eddy and get up to speed with the training. I watched Eddy like a hawk to try and take in everything he did. He is such an amazing 'keeper. My mentality was to be open-minded, push, work hard, support him and grow as a player.

"That was the first time in my career that I was a back-up. It is not an easy position to be in."

Steffen made 22 appearances across five years with City while two seasons were spent out on loan. The second, at Middlesbrough in 2022-23, confirmed his desire to seek first-team opportunities.

"That is why I play this sport," he said. "My time at City was incredible. The best coaches and the best players learning from them and getting better. I am now using those things that I learned week in, week out."

Steffen has enjoyed something of a renaissance on home soil, playing regular football for the Rapids and forcing his way back into the USA national team under Mauricio Pochettino with a home World Cup on the horizon. That and the rise of the MLS - or the Lionel Messi effect - make it an exciting time to be playing in the States.

"It has changed in many ways," the 'keeper says of the league. "More money has been put in we have more recognition, eyes and fans. There are better players and coaches and the quality is getting better. The way the league is starting to take care of players more and more has been massive as well.

"Because I was playing at such a high level, I have come back and tried to focus on doing what I can control and doing my job and lead the boys without doing too much. That has been a learning process, not try and do too much and just do my job. I am in a good rhythm.

"The future is exciting, it is good to be playing week in, week out. By doing all the right things on and off the field, God will reward me in ways I don't even have in mind yet."