New York Red Bulls II sign Florian Valot

After only playing only three games and 233 with the New York Red Bulls U23 team, Florian Valot is getting a promotion.

New York Red Bulls II have signed Florian Valot to a USL contract.

Valot, 23 year-old French midfielder/forward, was a senior at Rider University before graduating this past spring. He has played the last two season with the Broncos, tallying a total of 13 goals and 6 assists in 34 games played. In his time in the college game Valot earned First Team All-MAAC honors, was named the MAAC and ECAC Rookie of the Year, and led Rider to a 14-6-1 record his senior year, only for them to fall to collegiate soccer powers Univeristy of Virginia in the first round of the NCAA tournament.

Valot also participated in the New York Red Bulls' college combine back before the MLS draft but emerged from that unsigned. Other players at that combine include Tim Schmoll, Scott Thomsen, and Chris Thorsheim. As such, it was very interesting when Valot's name first appeared on the NYRB U23 roster, and now one can see why. Despite not getting picked up at the combine or in preseason with NYRBII, it is clear that the club kept in contact with him, and upon his graduation from Rider, brought him back into the fold.

Prior to coming to the US in 2013, Valot played for AS Monaco's second team for two years after joining the team in 2011 from Paris Saint Germain's academy. It is rare but also one of the subtle beauties of American soccer to have a player of such pedigree appear seemingly out of nowhere to sign to a team in the USL.

Welcome to NYRBII Florian!