New York City FC on Tuesday announced the acquisition of midfielder Yangel Herrera on loan from Manchester City, pending receipt of his P-1 Visa and ITC.
The Venezuelan youth international joined NYCFC’s English sibling club on a permanent basis from Atletico Venezuela on Jan. 31, and will spend 2017 with Patrick Vieira’s side.
“I’m very happy to take this next step in my career. To have the opportunity to play with such a high caliber of players is very exciting and to join a team that has a good football philosophy is very important to me,” Herrera, who captained his nation to third place at the South American U-20 Championships, told NYCFC.com.
“I’m looking forward to playing under Patrick Vieira as he’s someone who played my position and I know I’ll be able to learn a lot from him. I want to absorb all the good things from Patrick and the other players.”
A defensive midfielder born in the Venezuelan coastal town of La Guaira, Herrera began his career at Monagas SC before joining Caracas-based Atletico last year. He made his international debut against Brazil in a 2-0 defeat last year and just finished taking part in the 2017 South American Youth Football Championship, where he scored against Peru and Ecuador to help Venezuela earn qualification for the FIFA U-20 World Cup – their best finish in the competition since 1954.
“Although Yangel is just starting out on his career, we believe he will make an impact in Major League Soccer once he’s settled into a new country and has adapted to our system of play,” said Vieira. “He’s a tactically intelligent midfielder who is strong in the tackle and reads the game well. Yangel also has good passing range and spatial awareness, which is crucial for a player in his position.”
MLS FANTASY PRICE:
Yangel Herrera – Midfielder – $6.0
SIMILAR TO: Ian Harkes, Calum Mallace, Gustav Svensson
