New York Red Bulls Midfielder Sean Davis is a player who has received high praise for his intelligence, presence, as well for his communication and understanding of what games require in this league. Most importantly, he’s always been known as a team first guy.
For Head Coach Chris Armas, that’s a coach’s dream.
“Sean Davis, when you’re a coach, we love this,” Armas said. “It beats working. When you’re a coach at this level, because the level is high, the resources are there for you, there’s nothing you need. And you get to work with top athletes and top people. Sean is at the top of the list. He’s a pro, he’s open, he works so hard, he’s a team guy, he runs for the team, plays for the team, puts the team first.”
What makes Armas’ job even easier is Davis’ willingness to improve as an overall player and leader every single day.
“He tries to learn every day, so he’s the guy that makes you feel a lot of times like you’re actually a decent coach,” Armas said. “He takes it and he runs with it and he’s always looking to improve. That’s the first thing to say about Sean. To watch him grow over the last four years now has been rewarding and to just watch him grow on the field, off the field, and even as a leader.”
Davis also notices the growth he’s made as a player, since joining MLS out of Duke University.
“My Duke tape is pretty interesting, but college soccer is a totally different game than the MLS,” Davis said. “MLS is a much higher level where you have to play faster, think faster. While why I was at Duke I was a very technical player, I enjoyed being on the ball, dribbling, wiggling out of different places. Now I’d say I’m much more combative, I think a lot faster, I’m very aware of the next play.”
Although Davis is a much different player since his Duke days, he understands that he must continue to fine tune his skillset.
“It’s something I need to continue to improve on, but something that I have improved on a lot as of late,” Davis said. “I think that I’m just a little better at playing forward and being aggressive and finding a way to get the job done on the day. I’m playing as more of a six, more of a defensive midfielder, so it’s nice to get a string of games and get a real comfort level with the guys around me. I think that’s helped a lot, and just growing each and every game and figuring out what it takes at this level to compete day in day out, show up and be an important piece of the team.”
