11 matches into Gio Reyna’s season-long loan spell with Borussia Moenchengladbach has started to bring out the best in the attacking midfielder once again.

Reyna may still be seeking his first goal and assist for the Bundesliga club, but it hasn’t stopped Eugen Polanski’s belief in the young attacker. Polanski has rewarded Reyna with three-consecutive starts in recent weeks, a major improvement to the 23-year-old’s previous role as a substitute off of the bench.

Despite Reyna having a short fitness issue prior to his club debut, the U.S. men’s national team midfielder has started racking up the playing time, something that he desperately needed this fall.

Polanski has continued to trust Reyna during Gladbach’s shift up the league table, praising his growth and willingness to improve on the field.

“We wanted to gradually integrate him more and generate more playing time,” Polanski said in an interview with Bundesliga.com “For that to happen, it was crucial that Gio embraced it the way he did. I have rarely seen a training session from him that I wasn’t satisfied with, and I have recently seen values ​​I hadn’t seen before.

“We can almost replace him [Florian Neuhaus] like-for-like,” Polanski added. “He [Reyna] perhaps has a slightly more attacking profile, is a bit better in the space between the lines, and isn’t the same clear playmaker as Flo. He’s made extremely good runs and improved from game to game. I’m extremely happy.”

Reyna has totaled 308 minutes of playing time this Bundesliga season, while also featuring twice for the USMNT during the November window. He won’t be able to add to that total though on Friday when Gladbach visits Reyna’s parent club, Borussia Dortmund, in Friday’s latest league encounter.

However, Reyna should play a key role for the club once they resume their Bundesliga schedule on January 11 after a two-week winter break.