New York Red Bulls II midfielder Caden Clark signed his first professional contract with the club on February 5, 2020. Clark has made seven appearances for NYRB II this season, tallying three assists. His first coming in a 2-1 victory over Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC on July 26 at Red Bull Arena.
Learn more about Clark below:
Q. What has been the best moment of your soccer career so far?
Clark: Last year at the Developmental Academy playoffs, I scored the game-winning goal to keep us alive in our group. It was a great experience because it was with the U-19’s. It was a real high-pressure match, and the reaction after was awesome.
Q. How did it feel to sign your first professional contract?
Clark: It was really cool for myself because that has been my goal since I moved out of my house to go to Barca Academy. I wanted to do this for my career and it was really cool to see all the hard work pay off.
Q. You have had your first preseason, what is some advice the older guys have given you?
Clark: Definitely in preseason and the training sessions leading up to the first match, it was a lot of hard work and intense training sessions. My body was pretty fatigued and tired, but there advice was to stay ready no matter what. You have to be prepared to play at any moment, especially with the schedule we have now, four games in two weeks. You cannot ever take your foot off the pedal.
Q. What is your favorite pre-game music?
Clark: Honestly, my teammates put on some pretty good music in the locker room, but I probably would go with some type of hip-hop or rap to get me going.
Q. What do you like to do when you’re not training or playing soccer?
Clark: I love to play FIFA and Call of Duty: Warzone. I like those two games a lot. Obviously with quarantine, we have not been able to do much, but I cannot wait to go explore the city.
Q. Was there a player that you grew up admiring when you were younger?
Clark: I have always loved watching [Lionel] Messi. He is so enjoyable to watch and as players we are entertainers. That is something to take away that we have to be entertaining to watch.
Q. Who is your favorite club to support?
Clark: I do not have a single club I support, I support different teams in respective leagues. In England, I support Manchester City. In Spain, I support Barcelona and finally, I support PSG in France.
Q. You have had the opportunity to train in Barcelona, what was that experience like for you?
Clark: It was an eye-opening experience to see. The difference between here and there is that soccer it is a lifestyle there. I have been over there three times, with the first time being when I was 14 years old. I was really nervous the first time being there, but it was a great experience for myself.
Q. What are your goals for your first professional season?
Clark: I think for the team we need to get back on track and get some wins to make the playoffs. It is not going to be easy, but we definitely have the team to do it. As an individual, I would like to get a couple goals to my name, but also keep trying to help my teammates by getting assists.
Q: If there was a 3v3 tournament, who would be your two picks for your team from the club?
Clark: I think I would choose the players that I link up with the most on the field, so I would have to pick Kyle [Zajec] and Sebastian [Elney].
