After more than a decade in MLS, New England Revolution center back Andrew Farrell still plays a valuable role. While he might not as play as much as he used to, he showed his skill and ability against Orlando City on Wednesday evening.
The Revs suffered a loss but fans were treated to a goal off the foot of Farrell. He blasted a free ball into the back of the net and instantly sprinted to celebrate with his teammates who were in attendance.
It is clear how much Farrell loves the club. Revolution head coach Marko Mitrovic thinks this is extremly valuable for young players to see when starting off their careers.
“I would say there are two things about Andrew [Farrell]," Mitrovic said. "First, he's a fantastic person, and he's a fantastic teammate. I don't want this to sound cliché, like a coach talking about the player, but I didn't know Andrew personally before I got here. In my first meeting, when I met Andrew in person, I was like, ‘Well, he has a contagious good energy, and I think he's an important piece for our locker room.’ And that's just his personality, a very charismatic person, hard-working person. “Then the second thing about Andrew, he's someone that unbelievably loves this club, and [for the] young players, he is someone who can guide you on the field in terms of effort, attitude, and work ethic. He is someone who has so many games in MLS, and [shows] how you can sustain and play, having such a long career in MLS. I think people like Andrew are so important for our club to show other guys what this club means to him, and his love for the club, and that's something that I appreciate as well.”
With New England taking the approach of rotating its roster in the tournament, Farrell was on the field with a lot of youngsters. Some players likely watched the center back play when they were children.
In the match you could see Farrell's experience. He was telling his teammates when to slow the game down and calming them down in the knockout match.
But Farrell's guidance goes beyond the field. He is a valuable asset in the locker room for young and old players alike.
When New England isn't playing games, Malcolm Fry noted that he and Farrell frequently play Fortnite. The winger called the center back the best person of all time.
"I don't need to tell you guys, Farrel is the best person of all time full stop," Fry said. "We spend a lot of time together. We play a lot of Xbox together. He's a good friend of mine,. Man, I grew up with Andrew Farrell jerseys, and it's so cool to be able to share the pitch with him and the Fortnite lobby with him. So now we have a good time together."
Farrell will go down as one of the legends of the organization. His passion goes beyond the pitch as he constantly is participating in charity events and is an Academy coach. Whenever he does decide to retire from playing it is hard to imagine he won't remain involved in the organization in some fashion.
But don't forget, the man is an exciting soccer player. He reminded Revolution fans of that on Wednesday night in Pawtucket.
