Editors note: A group of ASN staffers have created a 23-man roster for the January U.S. national team camp. These are not our predictions—these are the players we would like to see named to Jurgen Klinsmann's squad.

HE MAY NOT BE THE MOST EXCITING choice for a national team camp, especially one that annually promises to be as much about new faces and giving chances to overlooked players.

But maybe that’s where Michael Parkhurst fits into next month’s team camp—as a player who has never been given a full chance to claim a consistent spot on the national team. Sure, Parkhurst has 25 caps, has been part of three Gold Cups, and was invited to the pre-World Cup camp this spring before being one of the final cuts.

Despite all that, it still feels like Parkhurst, 30, has never earned a shot as a regular for the national team and only gotten minutes when others weren’t there. During Bob Bradley’s four years as U.S. boss Parkhurst managed only 11 caps and while he’s gotten more chances since Jurgen Klinsmann has taken over, he’s still averaged just three caps per year since his international debut in 2007.

This, for a player who has been one of the most solid American defenders for over a decade, who has capably played both centrally and at either fullback spot, who has excelled in the Champions’ League—the European one, not CONCACAF’s—and never missed the playoffs in five seasons in Major League Soccer. Oh yeah—he was the league’s Defender of the Year in 2007.

Because there is little flash to his game, it’s easy to focus on what Parkhurst isn’t. He’s a bit of a tweener, a tad too undersized at five-foot-eleven to be dominant centerback and not athletic or dynamic enough on the ball to be a world class fullback. But focusing on that ignores much of Parkhurst’s strengths.

Few American players read the game as well as he does and he’s made up for his physical shortcomings with uncanny anticipation that has seen him commit just 43 fouls in 148 MLS regular season games. To put that in perspective, D.C. United’s Bobby Boswell, who was an MLS Best XI defender this season, committed 36 in 34 games this year. A player who plays as cleanly as he does shouldn’t be taken for granted, especially given the national team’s recent susceptibility on set pieces.

Going forward as an overlapping fullback, Parkhurst is never going to be confused for Cafu or even DeAndre Yedlin. But, he’s clean on the ball and rarely commits turnovers, preferring to get the ball to those who do create by putting them in good positions. And, on occasion, he can hit a pretty good cross.

Another reality for the U.S. national team is that most of the top fullbacks on its depth chart play outside the United States and are thus not available for the January camp, which is traditionally made up of domestic and Scandinavian based players. Hence, no Fabian Johnson and Timmy Chandler, no Greg Garza and Edgar Castillo, no Geoff Cameron nor Yedlin.

Scratch those guys from the list and suddenly Parkhurst is the most experienced player available, especially with DaMarcus Beasley’s retirement from national team duty.

By the end of this camp Parkhurst may yet again be a reserve, a utility player who is handy to have in a pinch because of his ability to slot in anywhere on the backline. (And that skill alone is a worthwhile one to have around.) But for now, Parkhurst’s proven ability to play fullback for the U.S. warrants his inclusion in the January camp. Again, it may not be the most inspiring pick, but it’s an honest reflection of where the domestic-based U.S. pool is at fullback right now.

ASN's January roster so far

1. Tesho Akindele
2. Lee Nguyen
3. Robbie Rogers
4. Matt Besler
5. Gyasi Zardes
6. Bill Hamid
7. Matt Hedges
8. Luis Gil
9. Steve Clark
10. Charlie Davies
11. Perry Kitchen
12. Andrew Farrell
13. Miguel Ibarra
14. Jermaine Jones
15. Clint Dempsey
16. Kelyn Rowe
17. Graham Zusi
18. Omar Gonzalez
19. Sean Johnson
20. Wil Trapp
21. Mix Diskerud
22. Michael Parkhurst

That's 22 down, one to go. We'd love your take on Parkhurst or any of these selections—use the Comments section below.

Brooke Tunstall is an American Soccer Now contributing editor and ASN 100 panelist. You can follow him on Twitter.