Kessler Discusses Being Traded From The Revolution To St. Louis CITY SC

Kessler: "I want the best for everyone. The guys that are still here, I want them to succeed. [Same for] DeJuan, myself. So it’s not any slighting or anything like that."

Photo Courtesy of the New England Revolution

Henry Kessler returned to Gillette Stadium on Saturday for the first time since being traded on August 3. The defender was happy to be back, though he admitted that it felt a bit odd.

“It was weird to be on the other side warming up and on the other side in the line walking out,” Kessler told The Blazing Musket. “Everything was reversed, but it was nice to be back.”

Kessler marked the occasion by scoring the first goal of the night, his first tally since February 25, 2023. He initially celebrated, though later gestured to the home fans that he didn’t mean any disrespect.

“Happy to score,” Kessler told Sam Minton. “I feel like I have a good relationship with the fans. Maybe they didn’t like the celebration. I did a little apology gesture afterward. I don’t score a ton. I didn’t mean anything by the celebration. It was kind of a heat-of-the-moment thing.

“I feel like I have a good relationship with the fans. The tribute was really nice before the game.”

The Revs ultimately went up 2-1 before St. Louis equalized. Both teams walked away with a point at the final whistle.

Kessler called New England home since being drafted in 2020, making 98 appearances for the Revolution.

The 26-year-old was traded to St. Louis CITY SC in exchange for Tim Parker and $600,000 in 2025 General Allocation Money.

Kessler noted that there were whispers before the deal was finalized.

“My agent tries to keep me posted, so I heard rumors,” Kessler said. “But I feel like if you’re a guy that plays in this league, you hear rumors a lot, and 95% of the time nothing happens, but my agent kept me posted. I didn’t find out for sure until the day of, but that’s how quickly things move in this league.”

When asked what conversations were like with head coach Caleb Porter and the front office, Kessler said, “There weren’t any conversations. It was just, brought me into the office, told me I was traded and that was it.”

When asked if that was strange, Kessler said, “I feel like that’s MLS where trading is not a player’s decision, so I don’t think it was odd for the league.”

Kessler re-signed with the Revs on October 11, 2023, inking a contract through 2025 with a club option for 2026. According to the salary guide posted by the MLS Players Association on April 25, Kessler’s guaranteed compensation is $1,033,333.00.

Kessler made 17 appearances for the Revs this year, fluctuating between being a starter and reserve under Porter, who joined the club on December 19, 2023.

“New staff coming in, maybe they didn’t necessarily agree [with the new contract],” Kessler said. “Same thing with DeJuan [Jones], signed a long-term deal in the offseason, and he’s no longer with the club. So new staff has different opinions, and I think that’s what happened.”

Kessler said he has fond memories of playing in Foxboro, calling it “a really good four and a half years.”

“I like to think it was probably the best the club has ever done,” Kessler said. “I don’t know. Winning the Supporters’ Shield, I think you can make that argument. Best MLS regular season still. So being part of that, arguably the best period in the club’s history, is really special.”

While he’s no longer in New England, Kessler stays in contact with his former teammates.

He called Jones, who is now in Columbus, “probably my best friend on the Revs.” He said he speaks to the defender “pretty much daily.” He also speaks to many people currently in New England.

“I miss a lot of the guys that are still here, and I talk to a lot of them,” Kessler said. I’m going to talk to a lot of them now. I want the best for everyone. The guys that are still here, I want them to succeed. [Same for] DeJuan, myself. So it’s not any slighting or anything like that. I’m happy for DeJuan, I’m happy for myself, and I’m happy for the guys performing here.”