Aberdeen striker Christian Ramirez insists it would be a dream come true to star for the United States national side again.
Capped twice by his country, the 30-year-old last featured for the USMNT in February 2019.
Already on nine goals for the season, Ramirez hopes his scoring form in Scotland can end a two-and-a-half-year absence from the USA squad.
Ramirez revealed he is on the radar of US boss Gregg Berhalter as the national coach helped with his move to Scotland.
Currently second in their CONCACAF World Cup qualifying group, the US are on course to qualify for the finals in Qatar next year.
They are next in World Cup qualifying action in January against El Salvador, group leaders Canada and Honduras.
Ramirez intends to keep scoring for the Dons and hopes it prompts Berhalter to pick up the phone to issue an international recall.
If the call comes, the Dons striker, who is set to face Dundee United on Saturday, will ‘jump at the chance’ to represent his country.
Ramirez said: “It was a dream come true to play with the national team and it would be a dream again.
“I am just focused on scoring goals and helping Aberdeen, but I would love the opportunity to play again for the US.
“I just want to get the best out of myself every week and help my team get wins.
“If the opportunity to play with the US comes, I will jump at it – I would never turn it down.
“Gregg knows I am only a phonecall away if he needs me.”
US boss helped with Aberdeen move
Ramirez made a scoring international debut in Berhalter’s first game in charge of the United States in a 3-0 friendly defeat of Panama on January 28 2019.
Aberdeen’s leading goalscorer missed out on selection to the 25-man United States roster for the recent World Cup qualifiers against Mexico (2-0 win) and Jamaica (1-1 draw) as Berhalter named seven strikers.
Ramirez may be across the Atlantic, but Berhalter certainly knows where he is.
He said: “Gregg Berhalter, the US national coach, helped in this process when I was considering a move to Aberdeen.
“I was doing all the paperwork stuff and I was in communication with him.
“For me now, it’s about controlling what I can and controlling my form – and scoring goals.”
Aberdeen boss Stephen Glass recently tipped Ramirez to push his way back into contention for selection for the Stars and Stripes to keep his World Cup dream alive.
Ramirez’s former strike partner at Minnesota United, Manuel Ibarra, also called for Berhalter to recall Ramirez to the international squad.
US international Ibarra, 31, forged a prolific partnership with Ramirez in Major League Soccer (MLS).
Ramirez accepts a potential international call-up and World Cup dream hinges on scoring regularly at club level with Aberdeen.
Learning about the ‘New Firm’ derby
He aims to fire Aberdeen to glory against Dundee United at Tannadice in front of a travelling Red Army in excess of 3,000 – although he admits to being unaware of the term ‘New Firm’.
Ramirez said: “I was actually listening to the radio the other day and there was a trivia question about what this game is called – The ‘New Firm’ derby.
‘That was the first time I’d heard it and I came in the next day to ask some of the guys and the gaffer if that was true.
“It’s good to know the name and the meaning behind it.
“I know our supporters are travelling,
“I think almost 3,000 of them the last time I checked.
“That shows how important it is.
“They’ll be backing us and it will be good to have them with us.”
Motherwell loss left ‘sour taste’
Aberdeen will bid to bounce back from a 2-0 defeat inflicted by Motherwell at Pittodrie prior to the international break.
Although admitting it was good to have some down time, ideally Ramirez wanted to play as soon as possible after the ‘Well game to eradicate the ‘sour taste’ of defeat.
He said: “The break was good – a bit longer than we would have liked – but it’s always good to have some down-time, gather ourselves and get back to some football this weekend.
“We would have liked just to continue to play, especially given the sour taste we had in our mouths after the Motherwell game.
“Just to move on from it, it would have been nice to continue.
“But it also lets you reflect on the things we have done in the last four games, to continue to build on those and try and rack up wins.”
‘A clean slate in my mind each weekend’
Ramirez marked his Premiership debut with a goal in a 2-0 defeat of Dundee United in the opening Premiership game of the season on August 1.
He anticipates a tough derby clash against a side six points ahead of the Dons.
Ramirez said: “We looked at some of the good things we did against Dundee United the first time around and how they are still similar in certain ways even now.
“Also, I know for myself personally that I have a clean slate in my mind each weekend.
“We know we are going in to face a difficult side who do really well defensively and can punish you offensively, as they’ve shown numerous times this year.
“No matter who we’re playing, or what the performance was like the last time, I just try and focus on each weekend.”
