David Najem signed with New York Red Bulls II on May 19, 2016, and made his debut two days later against FC Montreal. For the 24-year-old, signing with NYRB II almost 10 years after joining the Red Bulls Academy at age 14 and playing in Europe marked a homecoming.
āYou hear a lot of guys saying how proud they are that theyāve signed for their homegrown team and it holds true for me too,ā Najem said. āWeek in and week out watching the Red Bulls play and wanting to get on that field, being able to train with those guysā¦itās something you canāt really put into words. Itās just a feeling you get from being around the organization, seeing the work the guys put in, you put in, the results and itās nice to be a part of it officially.ā
Najem, a native of Clifton, N.J., played high school soccer at Paramus Catholic and was a member of the Red Bulls U-16 and U-18 teams. In 2009, he was named the NSCAA New Jersey High School Player of the Year and adidas/NSCAA First Team All-America selection. He later went on to play three seasons with the Red Bulls U-23s during college.
āBack when [the academy] started it was one of the best places to train, it was one of the best organizations in the country and I think you can still say itās true today,ā Najem noted. āTo see how itās progressed and to see how Iāve progressed, itās very nice to see that.ā
The midfielder played his college soccer at Columbia University, where he was a four-time All-Ivy League selection, including first team honors as a senior. His attacking ability even earned him Ivy League Offensive Player of the Year accolades by College Sports Madness.
Najem graduated early in December 2013 and finished with 64 appearances for the Lions, totaling 10 goals and 11 assists.
After much consideration, the Red Bulls Academy product decided to pursue an opportunity overseas with FC Eintracht Bamberg 2010 in Germany.
āIt was a fitting option for me,ā Najem said. āFollowing school I wanted to graduate early, I wanted to get some experience internationally, not only that, but culturally it was really interesting and thatās the type of person I am. I like to get first-hand experiences and gain all the knowledge and experience I can moving forward and I was able to do that while mixing in my football, which was really important for me.
āI think I gained a lot from the 18-20 months I was there. Whether it was finding myself personally or benefiting myself individually on the fieldā¦I grew overall as a person so I think it was a very important time for me.ā
After two seasons in Bamberg, Najem returned home to New Jersey, eventually joined up with Red Bulls II. Despite a few years of physical separation with the club, Najem admits that he always kept in touch with former Red Bulls coaches and remained close with the team.
āThe organization has always been good to me and my family,ā Najem said. āMy brotherās been a part of this organization since he was a kid as well so I mean theyāre just great with us and Iām really happy with the type of relationship we have with all of the guys. Theyāve all been so great to me and my family.
āIām always really happy to get in touch with them or when they reach out to me, whether I was here or not, whether we move on from here or not. I think itās nice to call this home and a family for sure. Itās just a testament to how great the relationship that I have and we have with this entire organization.ā
After all these years, growing up through the academy, graduating college and playing abroad, Najem is ready to make a splash with his hometown club.
āThe guys around here, the guys in the office, the coaches ā theyāve seen me grow, Iāve seen them grow and itās nice. Itās give and take around here and I think Iāve learned a lot from the organization going forward and itās nice to be back and bring it all together.ā
Catch David Najem and New York Red Bulls II take on Pittsburgh Riverhounds on Saturday, May 28 (WATCH: NewYorkRedBulls.com/Live). NYRB II faces the Riverhounds at 10 p.m., after the New York Red Bulls face Toronto FC in MLS action at 7 p.m.
Admission to the Red Bulls II match is available to fans with tickets to the MLS match.
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