Born in Germany to an American father and German mother, he came up through the German club system and represented Germany at the U21 and senior level. However, he was not a regular in the team. He later filed for a switch to the United States. He made his debut for them in 2010 and played at the 2014 FIFA World Cup, scoring a notable goal against Portugal. he is a retired soccer player who played as a defensive midfielder for most of his career.