Monday marked a new chapter in the career and life of Anton Tinnerholm.
Signed as a free agent after his contract with Malmo FF came to an end, the Swedish international defender is currently taking his first touches as an NYCFC player in Jacksonville, Florida.
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Judging by his impressive first two preseason days, Anton has kept himself active in the offseason after lifting the Swedish Allsvenskan championship and earning the Defender of the Year award.
Looking back on his decision to trade Malmo for New York City, Tinnerholm described it as an easy decision which he’s happy he made, especially since he spoke to new teammates Sean Johnson and Alex Ring after agreeing the move.
He told NYCFC.com: “When I heard that the club wanted me, I said to my agent ‘yeah, I really wanna go there’.
“After a while, when I spoke to Claudio and to Patrick, it made a great impression on me. It seems to be a really professional club, so it was not a hard choice.
“I decided pretty early and thought it was a great step for me to take to MLS. I hadn’t checked out many games as it was difficult to watch in Sweden but my impression on the club was really good from the start.
“It feels great – there are a lot of people working around the club who give us the best conditions to perform on the field. The players welcomed us new players very well – it also felt good to talk to Alex and Sean a bit before arriving here because they welcomed me in a great way.”
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One familiar face is still yet to join Anton on preseason is Jo Inge Berget.
Subject to receipt of his P1 visa and ITC, Jo Inge Berget will once again link up with Tinnerholm soon, as they did with Malmo, the back-to-back Swedish champions.
As it turns out, fans excited by the signing of Berget may owe some of the credit to Anton who helped his friend make the decision…
“I talked to Jo Inge before he signed and I shared some really good things about the club that I had experienced so far,” he added.
“I really wanted him to come here and now I’m really happy that he has signed. He’s a great guy who works very hard – he runs a lot. He’s going to be great for the club and he’s a great friend of mine, so that’s another good reason I’m happy he’s here.”
Playing under the tutelage of Patrick Vieira has been a great incentive for so many who’ve decided to don the sky blue of NYCFC.
Anton is no different in that regard and he’s been impressed with the first few sessions he’s enjoyed under his new Head Coach.
“It’s special to have Vieira as a coach – he’s been a legend at so many clubs during his career and so far he seems to be a great coach as well,” Anton reflected.
“It’s important for us players to develop and make history for the club – hopefully we’re going to succeed and lift a trophy. We have to do it together and work as a team. The main thing is that we’re 100% ready for March.
“I’m really looking forward to the season. I can’t wait until the games get started – we’ll do everything we can in preseason so we’re going to be 100% ready. I can’t wait to start.”
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