Ryan Spaulding Happy to Rejoin the Revs After Successful Loan Stint

Spaulding: "When I got the call to come back I was super excited, and I was more ready because I knew I was getting 90s down there."

Photo Courtesy of the New England Revolution

Ryan Spaulding is grateful for his time with the Tampa Bay Rowdies, but he’s now ready to help the New England Revolution after being recalled from his loan.

Spaulding made nine appearances with the Rowdies in a loan spell that began on April 21. Operating on the left wing, he collected two goals and four assists for the USL Championship side.

Spaulding said his representatives and the Revs both believed that the loan would be beneficial because it would get the 24-year-old game time.

“We all thought it was important for me to kind of get back into a regular schedule of playing 90 minutes,” Spaulding explained. “There's no replication for a game except a game. Yes, you are training intense, but I was at a stage, and everyone around me felt that I needed to go somewhere where I could be a consistent starter and get good minutes. We all felt like that was the best for my development.”

Spaulding became a fan-favorite in Florida, earning Team of the Week honors twice and a Player of the Month nomination in May. Many fans were saddened that he was heading back north.

Spaulding reciprocated the love, saying, “It's just a really special environment down there and the fans and the city love the team and you can really tell. They're showing up full force to all the home games and really putting on a show for us as well. We were out there and were amazed by the support that they're giving us, and they really just helped us when we were out on the field fighting for them.”

With DeJuan Jones joining the U.S. Men’s National Team during the Gold Cup, Spaulding got a call from Bruce Arena while on his way back from a game in El Paso. He was more than excited to reconnect with the Revs.

“It's a great time [to come back to New England],” Spaulding remarked. “Obviously, I've been keeping up with the Revs as I was down there and when I got the call to come back I was super excited, and I was more ready because I knew I was getting 90s down there. I was like ‘I can really come up here and hopefully make an impact and keep this run of form going.’”

After a few days of training, Spaulding got his first MLS start of the 2023 season. He played 90 minutes in the Revs’s 2-1 win over Toronto FC.

Post-game, Spaulding admitted that it took some time to adjust, but he’s happy to have contributed to the win. He would’ve had an even bigger impact if Gustavo Bou’s offside goal would’ve stood. Spaulding had the secondary assist on the picturesque heel-flick from Bou.

“Yeah, I mean, definitely a little bit [disappointed],” Bou said. “Obviously, a goal would have just been great in general, but I think because I would have gotten the assist on that it would have been pretty cool for sure.”