The midfielder made his way in Germany, and he's optimistic this second go at European soccer will drive his career forward

Before every game at St. Pauli's Millerntor-Stadion, "Hell's Bells" by AC-DC rings out. It's a harrowing welcome for visiting players. As the song's famous church bell tolls, the players step onto the field and into an environment unlike many in the world.

It was at that precise moment, as those bells told, that James Sands realized what he'd stepped into. The U.S. international had played at legendary stadiums before. He'd played at the Ibrox while with Rangers and, just as notably, at Celtic Park as a visitor. He'd featured in Champions League atmospheres. Back in the U.S., his time with NYCFC saw him play at less rowdy, but equally historic venues noted for their baseball success like Yankee Stadium.

But this? This was different. Those bells, that atmosphere, made him feel something, and it didn't take long.

"That first game that you're part of, and for me, that was against Frankfurt, who is a top team," Sands said. "You're walking out or running out onto that field for warmups and you just get this sense that you're at a very special club. It's very cool to be a part of. That was a clear experience for me."

Sands is only a few weeks into his St. Pauli experience, and it's clear that those bells have only spurred him on. The American midfielder has lept right into the club's starting XI, helping St. Pauli pick up points in three of his last four starts to push for Bundesliga survival. This stretch is key for St. Pauli, who are fighting for Bundesliga survival at 14th place, but it may be even more important for Sands given what's at stake.

This is Sands' second crack at Europe and, with a World Cup around the corner, it will be a defining one. Sands' move to St. Pauli is only a six-month loan deal. After that – who knows? Sands is pushing for a World Cup spot and, perhaps, a European home. So much will be decided by how he plays over these next few months in Germany's top flight.

"Going into it, I knew I'd have to be just open and ready to adapt to new things," he said of his experience so far. "Fortunately, I think I've done that pretty well so far. I think that speaks a lot to how quickly my teammates and the coaches here have helped me get on board with things. It's a very good group here. We're really building in the right direction. You always have natural difficulties at the beginning, but I think I've been able to push through a lot of those. It's been going well so far."

Getty Images SportA January move

Moving in January is difficult. It's almost like there's no time to breathe. You arrive, you sign and in you go, joining a team midseason. You're expected to provide something that will change the group's fortunes on the field all while you find your own feet off of it.

That's something Sands has worked through in the month and a half since he arrived in Germany. His loan deal away from NYCFC was announced on Jan. 1. He was starting a friendly against Eintracht Braunschweig five days later. He came off the bench in St. Pauli's first two games after the winter break before claiming a starting role against Heidenheim on Jan. 18. He hasn't left the XI since.

In his brief run in St. Pauli's XI, Sands has shined. Starting next to captain and Australian international Jackson Irvine, Sands has been a presence in the midfield. He's helped the club rise to 14th, seven points clear of a relegation playoff spot.

On the field, the transition has been seamless. Off of it, it's been anything but.

"Moving in the winter is never easy and it's never ideal," Sands said, "but with the way European leagues and MLS line up, sometimes it's the only way possible to make this move."

"I don't think people really understand how much off the field is happening during a transfer," he continued. "My first four games here, I was still in the hotel, so that whole experience was interesting. As a player, for myself, I've just had to be adaptable and open to things. Thankfully, I'm a bit more settled now, so hopefully I can just crack on and keep enjoying it."

AdvertisementGetty Images SportNo club like St. Pauli

Every club in the world claims to be unique. They all claim to stand for something, to represent their community. Not all do. St. Pauli, though? exceed expectations.

St. Pauli is as much a social movement as a soccer club. The club has a set of fundamental principles that guide everything it touches. St. Pauli is outspoken and passionate about its community, embracing a punk subculture brought to life on grass.

Every player who signs up to play at St. Pauli is aware of what they are signing up for. You don't just represent a team or a city; you represent a movement. It's part of what made this move so interesting for Sands – the ability to play at a high level and represent something bigger than himself.

"When I was making the decision to come over here, I was doing a little research about the club. It's very clear what kind of views the club has. The club should be very proud of a lot of those views," he said. "That's what ultimately makes this club special. I would say, in the little over a month I've been here, it's been mainly all about the football for me, but you get that sense in the background of all the things the club does to support their views. That's really special, and I'm totally a fan of it as well."

St. Pauli has no shortage of American connections. Ian Joy, who served as an analyst for many of Sands' games at NYCFC, played for the club and still has its flag plastered across his X profile. Legendary "Shot Around the World" goalscorer Paul Caligiuri played there, too. Ex-USMNT defender Cory Gibbs spent two years with the club, while Joe Gyau and Leon Flach are also counted among the club's alumni.

"I spoke to [Ian] a little bit, and he always has such amazing things to say about the club," Sands said. "Nothing but praise. After I had signed, he sent me a nice message, just saying it was absolutely the right decision, it's such an incredible club, and that he would be watching. It's always helpful when you can speak to someone who has this experience."

To really make his mark on the Bundesliga, though, Sands has had to rely on his own experiences in both New York and Glasgow.

GettyLessons from Rangers

This isn't Sands' first big loan to Europe. The other came back in 2021. Fresh off an MLS Cup triumph with NYCFC, Sands embarked on a year-and-a-half loan to Rangers, joining one of the game's most historic clubs.

He made 41 appearances for the Scottish giants, won a Scottish Cup and finished as a runner-up in the Europa League. There was no long-term future for him at Rangers, though, as the Scottish club terminated his loan and sent him back to NYCFC.

Now, after two more full seasons in MLS, Sands feels this time is different. He's grown plenty since arriving in Glasgow as a 21-year-old with no European experience. The player that St. Pauli has added on loan is one that he believes is very different than the one that had ups and downs in Scotland.

"Having done it once, I know I can do it again," he said. "This time may be a little bit more challenging. The language barrier makes it interesting, but the clubs I've been with do such a good job of helping the players go through that onboarding process. It's all been good."

And the accumulated lessons living abroad are paying dividends.

"It's extremely helpful to have that prior experience in Europe," he said. "I think Glasgow Rangers is a very big club, and during my time with them, I played in a lot of very big games with very big atmospheres. Now, when I'm in the Bundesliga, which has very similar types of atmospheres, I think it's helpful to have that experience already."

It helps that Sands knows what to expect this time around. He knows the pressures and the weight that come with playing at this level. It also helps that he has some familiar faces to lean on nearby.

Getty Images SportNew York meets Bundesliga

There's suddenly a whole lot of New York influence spread across Germany's top flight. That took a big leap forward this winter, with Sands being the lates Tri-State area arrival in the Bundesliga.

Gio Reyna and Joe Scally are the veterans, having made the move from New York City FC long before Sands made his. Reyna remains at Borussia Dortmund while Scally is a key figure at Borussia Monchengladbach. Sands has known both for years. He recalls meeting Reyna at around age 12 or 13 and then meeting Scally a year or two later as all three came up as three key players in the NYCFC system.

Also now in Germany is a former rival, John Tolkin, who left the New York Red Bulls for Holstein Kiel in January. Sands and Tolkin went toe-to-toe plenty on either side of the Hudson River derby, and Tolkin, like Sands, has immediately slid into his new club's starting XI.

"There's something about people from the Northeast that translates to the Bundesliga, I guess," Sands said. "Maybe it's that sense of grit or determination, but that part of the country seems to send a lot of players over here. It's cool to see all of the different journeys that we've taken to get to this point.

"It's cool to see how everything comes full circle and it makes me proud to see them doing so well. It makes me appreciate how far we've all come as players and, more importantly, as friends. I'm always rooting for those guys and wishing them nothing but the best."

Sands hasn't had the chance to see the others since he arrived. He's talked to Scally and Reyna a bunch both since and prior to his move, though, and their advice was extremely helpful when it came to the off-field transition.

"I think the first thing I asked them about was restaurants and different places to order on Uber Eats," Sands said. "They were quite good with that! Then a lot of stuff with the apartment, they were helpful with just telling me what to look for. 'You really should think about having a garage'. That sort of thing. Nothing too crazy, but lots of little things help me survive here."