HANOVER, N.J. – After a career that’s taken him to England, Denmark and back, Mike Grella has finally come home.
Still just 28 years old, Grella is now plying his trade for his ninth different club in his eight years as a professional. And for the first time since 2008, Grella has chance to play in front of his friends a family thanks to the New York Red Bulls; it's an opportunity he’s embraced with open arms.
“I had options to go back to Europe, but I wanted to settle here,” Grella said of this past offseason. “It was not as easy as I thought. I had to train a lot on my own, and sort of look into the dark and seeing what steps were next. It was a very difficult time for my wife and I because she was pregnant at the time. But I’m a big believer and I have a lot of faith.
“I’m settled back in New York with my wife and my son and I’m just so happy.”
Grella did have the opportunity to play in MLS after being selected 34th overall in the 2009 MLS SuperDraft by Toronto FC, but instead opted to sign with Leeds United. After spending the majority of his career toiling in England’s lower divisions, Grella made his Stateside return in 2014 with the Carolina Railhawks of the North American Soccer League. But after a trial stint with the Red Bulls prior to the 2015 season, head coach Jesse Marsch quickly identified Grella as a standout performer.
“[We liked] Mike’s work ethic, his ability to play at the pace that we want to play at and his sharpness in tight spaces,” Marsch told MLSsoccer.com. “Ultimately what impressed all of us was his ability around the goal.”
Admittedly a striker who prefers to play centrally, Grella has been asked to play out on the left wing, earning even more minutes since Sal Zizzo suffered an injury. And while it may not be a role of his choosing, the learning curve has not been a steep one.
“I think he’s best as a striker, but we’ve asked him to tilt to the left,” Marsch said. “He has versatility to his game, so even though it’s not his best spot, he’s adapted well and made us good from that position.”
Now earning more regular first-team minutes, Grella has taken advantage of the opportunity, bagging two goals so far this season. With the absence of Zizzo in the New York midfield, Grella has shouldered the load and become more comfortable with his role in the process.
“I feel a lot more fit,” Grella added. “I feel a lot more prepared to play longer and go 90 minutes. I’m definitely getting physically stronger, mentally stronger by playing more games.
“It’s always good to play with the same players over and over again because you start to gain an understanding.”
Coming into the side as a relative unknown, Grella may have surprised many with the flare he has shown in spurts throughout this time with the Red Bulls. Fans were first treated to his flashy play in New York’s trip to Columbus earlier this season, where Grella’s audacious chip from 25 yards out earned the Red Bulls a win, and marked the club’s 1000th goal in the process.
Fast-forward to last weekend, and Grella was once again in the middle of a highlight-reel-worthy play after displaying some deft footwork to skip past several Union defenders.
“It’s one of the better parts of my game in terms of being creative, being able to unlock the opposition and being a dangerous guy,” Grella said. “Occasionally I can do some pretty cool things. It was nice to be able to show people that, as I grow in confidence, I can do much more. As I gain fitness and confidence, I’m improving every day and I’m really enjoying it.”
Aside from those moments of brilliance, Grella has been rather unheralded within a Red Bulls midfield consisting of bigger names. That doesn’t necessarily sit well with the Red Bulls head coach.
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“The part about Mike being criticized publicly doesn’t show any respect to all the little things he’s done to make us good,” Marsch said. “Some people don’t really see how much ground he covers, how many battles he wins in the air, how he locks down that side of the field, how he helps recover the ball a lot for us.”
For Grella, the accolades matter little. At the end of the day, Grella has no qualms with fading into the background so long as the results go New York’s way.
“We’re all on the same page; we truly are a very unified team,” Grella continued. “There’s no real egos, everyone just comes in to work every day and enjoys playing.”
