Tyler Adams excited for his Leipzig move

It was a bittersweet moment at Red Bull Arena, as the New York Red Bulls were ready to say their goodbyes to the media. One of those players to say goodbye and excited for his move to Germany was Tyler Adams, as he is going to officially transfer to Red Bull Leipzig of the Bundesliga.

You can already tell on his face that he can’t wait to get on that plane and start his German football adventure, living on his own, as well as joining a side that has surprised the football world since they gained promotion through the Red Bull brand.

“Obviously a lot has been going on in the past 24 hours, but more than anything I just want to thank the club and the organization for what they have done for me,” said Tyler Adams “Friends, parents and what they have done for me these last eight years for me, It’s definitely come full circle for me, and now I am very excited for the next step.”

This kid has been on a quick trajectory to greatness since he was discovered by the Red Bulls youth coaches at a summer camp near his home town of Wappingers Falls, NY. Since he was brought over, Tyler has never looked back, as he has taken one opportunity and knocked it down to take another one.

In my last article about Adams I have compared him to another professional athlete in a different sport who also took every opportunity given to him and knocked them down to reach his goals to play in the professional ranks: former New York Yankees Short Stop Derek Jeter.

When Jeter was signed by the Yankees he quickly took advantage during his time in the minor leagues and when he finally started a full season back in 1996, that’s when the championships started to come and he earned respect throughout Major League Baseball.

What we have seen from Tyler Adams has been a magical ride, as he quickly showed during his one and a half seasons with the USL Bulls, how dangerous he is defending as well as attacking. The world saw what he could do as he scored against Chelsea as a 16 year old, as well as the lower levels by winning the USL Championship back in 2016.

“When everyone asks me that question, I probably say it’s like a whirlwind, “said Adams.

“It has come fast, but when more challenges come at you quickly, the more you are excited to tackle them.

“For me when I joined the academy, I knew there was one goal in mind as it was to sign my first professional contract. When Jesse [Marsch], Denis [Hamlett] and the technical staff came over they just found that we have such young, rich talent, that we need to give opportunities to.

But I never wanted to play for the USL team, I wanted to play for the first team, but it was the first step and I had to run with it. I realize that I had to make this step and now those guys are my friends and we developed well together.”

It was nice to see Tyler’s parents in the back of the interview room, as their son was about to embark on a big challenge in Europe, when he and Sean Davis were sent to Red Bull Leipzig for a training stint, he knew that was the place for him.

But the hope is that the transition should be easy for him to get comfortable at Red Bull Leipzig as his former head coach is now an assistant as Jesse Marsch should ease this transition very well.

It will be tough not to see Adams continue in 2019 here at Harrison, New Jersey. Yet it’s exciting to see another fantastic young player, that this club has developed and now became a part of this fraternity that started with Tim Howard, Jozy Altidore, Matt Miazga and now Tyler Adams is the latest American to tackle European football.

I wish him nothing but the best in his club career in Germany, as well as seeing him getting called into the US Men’s National Team in the future for friendly games, the upcoming Gold Cup this coming summer and World Cup Qualifying for 2022.