New York City FC’s Year Four roster is coming together nicely.
The latest name added to the squad for 2018 was Ismael Tajouri’s, the Swiss-born forward who became City’s seventh offseason addition last week.
An explosive, skillful 23-year old, Tajouri arrives in the Big Apple with a growing reputation in the game, following an impressive spell in the Austrian Bundesliga with Austria Wien.
READ:Ismael Tajouri Signs for New York City FC
Ismael is a versatile player capable of playing either wide on the right and cutting in to use his powder keg left foot, or in behind a no.9, Ismael gives his new coach new options in the final third.
A likeable, upbeat personality, Tajouri is still processing his transfer and this chance to live and play in the great city in the world that he’s been given.
It’s an opportunity he’s eager to seize to become the best player he can be under Patrick Vieira’s tutelage.
“It’s a dream come true because I’m at a big club like NYCFC,” he told NYCFC.com. “That is every player’s dream to take this step. I am looking forward to making good years with the club and to make all the fans happy. We want to play good football – that’s my aim.
“Patrick Vieira was a big player, a big personality, he won everything and now he’s my coach. That’s a dream come true to play under someone like him. I’m looking forward to getting to know him and I will give my best to help Patrick Vieira and Patrick Vieira will help me. He will give me things to make me a better player than I am now and that’s very important to me.”
Tajouri has a long-standing interest in MLS, even if the time difference between the U.S. and Austria made it difficult to tune in regularly.
Since the move to NYCFC was first mooted, he’s taken even more of an interest, undertaking his research on MLS and his new club with even greater enthusiasm.
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He said: “In Austria, it’s not so easy to watch every MLS game but I watched many games when I had chance. Every time, it was very interesting but now when I heard NYCFC wanted me, I looked much more than before and I think it’s a big, big club and I’m really happy to make this step. I want to do my best to make NYCFC and myself happy.”
When Ismael arrives in New York, it will be the first time he’s ever stepped foot in the city but it’s a moment he’s thought about for some time.
He explained: “My plan was to come to New York this year to visit with my friends but we couldn’t do it because we didn’t have enough free time, so we had to cancel.
“Now I’m going to be living there and I can see how life is going to be. I hear only good things because New York is New York. My good friend has been four or five times and he says it’s an amazing place and he always says to me ‘this is your city!’”
As much as he’s looking forward to life away from the field, Ismael is clear on the most important reason he’s in New York.
Tajouri added: “The fans are no.1 for me because they will push us every day, every game. They want to watch good football and all I can say now is ‘hello, I’m happy to be here and I will show you what I can do – I cannot wait to meet you all and I’ll see you soon.’”
