Revolution Sign Eric Klein to Homegrown Deal
The former Revs Academy prospect joins the first team after impressing with Revolution II.
Friday saw the New England Revolution make an addition to its roster as the club signed Revolution II midfielder Eric Klein to a Homegrown contract.
The 2024 Revolution Academy Player of the Year’s Homegrown deal runs through the 2026 MLS season and includes options for the 2027, 2028, and 2029 seasons.
Since making his debut for Revs II on June 12, 2023, the Manheim, Pennsylvania native has been a solid presence for the club. After starting the 2024 season on an Amateur Agreement deal, Klein joined the club permanently on September 18, 2024.
Klein’s time with Revolution II has seen him make 33 appearances for the club, where he tallied one goal and four assists over 2,673 minutes.
The 18-year-old appears to have been on first-team head coach Caleb Porter’s radar for some time now. Following the deal to send Noel Buck to the San Jose Earthquakes, Klein was listed as one of the several factors in the move.
After the signing, Porter stated Klein piqued his interest from the moment he arrived in New England.
“Eric Klein has been on my radar as a standout contributor with Revolution II since I arrived at the club last year,” Porter said. “Eric has earned this chance to test himself against a higher level of competition, and I look forward to helping foster his growth."
Sporting Director Curt Onalfo credited Klein’s development, saying the young prospect had succeeded at every stage of the pro player pathway. Onalfo also applauded Klein’s leadership ability.
“Since early 2024, he has demonstrated exceptional leadership on the second team,” Onalfo said. “Eric’s addition to our midfield brings valuable depth, and we are committed to his ongoing growth and development."
Klein got his first taste of action with the first team during the club’s Open Cup run. The midfielder came on before the start of the second half against Rhode Island and clocked 45 minutes in the 2-1 victory. May 20th’s meeting against Chicago saw Klein in the starting lineup. He clocked a full 90 in the Revs’ 3-1 loss to the Fire and unfortunately conceded an own goal.
Despite the showing against Chicago, Klein is an extremely talented prospect who provides some solid depth for the defensive midfield position. His time with Revolution II also saw him play central midfield, center back, and right back.
He may still need some time with Revolution II to fully develop, but Klein is surely a prospect Revolution fans should be excited about.
Nice signing in theory but his cup appearances showed he needs at least a year on loan in the USL