KANSAS CITY, Kan. – Bobby Convey is back in his old position, playing for a new team and perfectly fine with the idea of staying put in both spots until he hangs up his boots.
“I don’t plan on moving again after this,” Sporting Kansas City’s new left winger said Thursday during a news conference at Livestrong Sporting Park. “I plan on staying here until my career’s over.”
At 28 years old, Convey, a pro since his mid-teens and a veteran of two US World Cup teams, should be around for a while – at least long enough to deliver some damage from SKC's left side.
“Looking at Bobby, he’s a great player that we can add on the left-hand side – on the attacking side, not the left back,” Sporting KC manager Peter Vermes made clear. “I won’t say ‘never,’ but he’s an attacking player.”
WATCH: SKC introduce Convey, Nagamura, Peterson
That’s just what Convey, who was relocated to left back during the last of his three seasons with San Jose, wanted to hear when he met with Vermes to outline his role with the club.
“One of the reasons I came here is that as a player, they put you in a position to do well,” said Convey, who broke into MLS with D.C. United at 16 and is headed into his 13th professional season. “You can’t ask for anything more.”
As a natural lefty, and with the left back position being one of the hardest for any club to fill, Convey understands why Earthquakes manager Frank Yallop made the move.
“I have no problem playing left back,” he said. “I have no problem playing any position for the team to do well. Obviously, I’ve done well in my career attacking, but if I have to play left back, that’s fine as well. I’ll do whatever I can do to help the team win.”
It wasn’t his skills in the back, though, that earned Convey five years with English club Reading before a training injury and a series of knee operations contributed to his release in 2009.
“I’ve played left wing for my whole life,” he said, “and that’s where I’d prefer to play.”
Vermes stopped short of calling Convey the missing piece in Sporting KC’s attack, but his acquisition does fill in a notable gap.
Kansas City already had all kinds of ways to deliver the ball into the area: Graham Zusi’s free kicks from the middle of the field, right back Chance Myers’ long crosses from the corner and Matt Besler’s astonishingly long and accurate throw-ins from either side.
Now, with Convey in the mix, Sporting KC have a veteran crossing threat from the left side during the run of play, and he’s eager to work with the target trio of Kei Kamara, Teal Bunbury and C.J. Sapong.
“It’s great not to have to pass to just one guy,” he said. “It’s great to be able to pass to three or four guys and finish chances off. With three very fast forwards, it should work out very well for me.”
