Rochester New York FC will play in the MLS Next Pro – the third tier of American soccer – in 2022 as Jamie Vardy follows in the footsteps of ex-England captain David Beckham
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David Beckham recreates iconic halfway line goal at Inter Miami’s new ground
Jamie Vardy’s US soccer club have confirmed they will be competing in the MLS Next Pro’s inaugural campaign in 2022.
Rochester New York FC will be one of 21 teams competing in the new league, designed as a pathway for young talent.
Every team in the division – except Vardy’s – are connected to an MLS franchise and it will be viewed as America’s third tier behind the MLS and United Soccer League (USL).
Rochester were founded in 1996 but haven’t competed in an organised league structure since 2017, when they left the USL.
Vardy became co-owner of the club in June and Lee Tucker, who was involved in the player’s V9 Academy, is their sporting director.
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Speaking to Sky Sports, the Leicester striker admitted the project is starting to “feel very real” as a return to competitive football approaches.
“When we started out on this journey, I knew I was taking a big risk and it was going to be a massive challenge,” added Vardy. “Now that challenge is very clear.
“Rochester NY FC is based in New York State and there are going to be some huge matches against teams in Toronto, New England, Philadelphia, Miami, Orlando… it’s a really exciting line-up.”
Vardy, the first non-league player to command a £1million transfer fee, has won the Premier League, FA Cup and various individual awards during his career.
The 26-cap England international has never ran a football club before but is excited for the challenge ahead.
“It’s going to be a lot different to what I’ve been used to for the last 10 years,” he said in June. “But I’m looking forward to getting stuck into it.
“I think it kind of resonates with me because of what they’ve achieved in the past – the only lower-league club to win the US Open Cup, the only team to have ever done it who’s outside MLS.
“It’s all about bringing that back and trying to replicate it — but we also want to bring it back even better than it was before.”
Vardy will be looking to take inspiration from Manchester United legend David Beckham, who owns MLS franchise Inter Miami.
The Florida-based club have struggled during their first two seasons in the league, finishing 19th and 20th.
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Speaking in February 2020, Beckham admitted he encountered numerous challenges when setting up his MLS franchise.
The former England captain initially announced he was launching a team in 2014, with Inter Miami established in January 2018.
“Someone turned around to me a few minutes ago and [asked] what were the biggest challenges,” said Beckham, as quoted by the MLS website.
“My answer was everything that we’ve tried to do to get this franchise up and running was a challenge.
“There wasn’t one thing from finding the land, thinking what kind of stadium we want, what kind of players we want, what kind of manager we want, even down to what tiles we had in the showers.
“Everything was a challenge. But, like I said, I wasn’t going to give up. I was never going to give up in any way.”
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