With an eye towards the future, New York City FC has made a milestone signing.
On Wednesday, the club announced that it had signed 16-year-old midfielder James Sands to a Homegrown player contract, effective July 1.
[ FOLLOW: All of PST’s MLS coverage ]
“I’m really glad for James because he came with us on preseason and he did really well, showing us how good he is,” NYCFC coach Patrick Viera said in a statement. “He fully deserves this contract, he’s a young talent and now we have to help him to develop that talent.”
The story of James Sands' rise to becoming the first ever #NYCFCHomegrown pic.twitter.com/FxudUcbrOM
— New York City Football Club (@NYCFC) June 21, 2017
Sands first joined the NYCFC first team this past offseason, taking part in preseason training and even playing for NYCFC along with Andrea Pirlo in a 2-2 draw in front of 40,000 fans at Ecuador’s Emelec.
Tonight's #NYCFC Starting XI vs. @CSEmelec pic.twitter.com/5jb1pu97lJ
— New York City Football Club (@NYCFC) February 9, 2017
There was some talk towards the end of preseason that Sands may sign as a Homegrown player then, but the decision was put off until this summer.
“I’m really excited – this is a big dream come true for me from ever since I was little kid playing in my back yard to now,” Sands said. “Especially when you look at how in just a few short years NYCFC has grown - to be the first Homegrown Player is really special for me.”
Sands likely won’t have much time to make a first-team appearance in MLS this season. The youngster is a crucial piece of the U.S. Under-17 Men’s National Team and is expected to be playing with the U.S. at the FIFA Under-17 World Cup in India this October.
Sands is a bright prospect in the U.S. youth soccer system and it’s a landmark moment for NYCFC, which previously had been more focused on signing high-profile names like Pirlo, David Villa and Frank Lampard. It will be interesting to follow Sands’ progress in the years ahead.
