TRANSFER TRACKER STATUS: Signing
New York City FC added midfield depth on Thursday, announcing the signing of Daniel Bedoya from the Long Island Rough Riders, the club’s PDL affiliate.
Bedoya, who had four goals and three assists in 21 appearances, caught the attention of the NYCFC coaching staff during a scrimmage between NYCFC and the Rough Riders at the club’s training facility.
He’s been training with the first team ever since.
“Playing for the team of my city, it’s just a great opportunity for me and I’m very excited,” Bedoya told NYCFC.com. “The first training sessions, there was obviously a lot of nerves, but the guys have been great ever since I came in, they were very friendly, very nice. The leaders on the team like Maxi, David and all of them have been helpful.”
Bedoya, who moved to Queens, New York from his native Colombia when he was eight years old, played at Francis Lewis HS and then St. John’s University. The 24-year-old was previously part of the New York Red Bulls academy and played for Red Bulls II in the USL from 2015-2017, making 25 appearances over two seasons.
“We watched the friendly game and we saw this player, Danny, and saw he has a special quality to play in between the lines,” Dome Torrent said. “His position is in between Maxi and Jesus, he has control all the time, and he understands soccer which is very important for me. He’s a smart player. I’m sure 100 percent he’s able to help the team.”
Added NYCFC sporting director Claudio Reyna: “The relationship with Long Island Rough Riders and PDL is very positive. We’re able to get a friendly game with them and see some of these players up close. You can see why we have relationships like this because at any moment you can find a player like Danny and we’re really happy with Long Island and the work they’re doing.”
