New York City FC is pleased to announce the acquisition of Sebastian Velasquez from Real Salt Lake in exchange for allocation money.
The 23 year old Colombian midfielder, raised in South Carolina, was selected by Real Salt Lake in the 2012 MLS SuperDraft, and he has since turned out 38 times for the Utah-based club.
Prior to his MLS career, Velasquez played his college soccer for Spartanburg Methodist Pioneers, and his influential displays combined with strong technical abilities convinced Real Salt Lake to make him the first Junior College player to be drafted since 2006.
Velasquez is the third player to join New York City FC from Head Coach Jason Kreis' time in Utah.
Velasquez said: “It’s very exciting, this is an opportunity for me to learn, to become a better soccer player and contribute to what we hope will be a successful team.”
“It looks like we're going to have a strong roster. We're being led by Jason Kreis and he's an incredible coach. One thing he demands is hard work and I think through hard work, a lot of success can be achieved.”
“The coaching team that I know were a major part of my decision, I feel like I'm being reunited with family. They were the guys that originally brought me into MLS and I’m very grateful for that.”
“I loved playing for Salt Lake, at the moment I consider it my second home. It's amazing how much Real Salt Lake has influenced me and I'll always be appreciative of the club, but this is a chance to be a part of such an exciting project.”
“I can’t wait to meet up with the rest of the squad and start working together ahead of what I am sure will be a fantastic first year for the Club and the fans.”
Per league and club policy, the amount of allocation money exchanged will not be disclosed.
