In his first full season with the New York Red Bulls, Austrian winger Daniel Royer fought through an injury spell and became a menacing attacking option for the club.
On the year, Royer scored 12 goals (second most on the team), earned three assists and made 26 appearances, including 23 starts.
After suffering an injury back in August, Royer returned from injury and further integrated himself into the Red Bulls’ lineup after finally getting acclimated to the team.
“I’ve been fit most of the season,” Royer stated. “I was out a little for my knee injury, but as I said before, I always try to put in everything I have, and I try to help the team, and I think in certain times it worked out really well, but at the beginning of the season it didn’t work out for me really well either.
“I had some trouble at the beginning of the season, which we sorted out, and we had a good middle part of the season, but I think that’s normal. In a long season, you sometimes struggle with certain things, but as I always try to do, I try to put everything in that I have and try to be dangerous, try to soak up the mentality, the philosophy here, and to do what people ask me to.”
While his goal tally was impressive this year, Royer inserted himself into the Red Bulls team mentality. Whether it was his recovery from injury or overall work, Royer’s work ethic marvelously showed throughout the year.
“When I’m on the field, or when I’m on the training field, or on gameday, I just try to help the team,” Royer stated. “I’m happy that it worked out on a certain point, but here every single player has the same value, and that’s what I was talking about, and that’s so important here. I’m glad if you guys see that way and it’s good for me, but in this club, there’s nothing about one person, or one player or two players or three players. It’s all about the group.”
BEST OF DANIEL ROYER 2017 by New York Red Bulls on Exposure
