Photo: Photo: New England Revolution
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) — The New England Revolution signed another new player to their roster, but this player isn't even old enough to drive himself to practice.
Noel Buck is just 16 years old, and the midfielder just became the Revolution's latest signing after he penned a new Homegrown Player contract with the club on Jan. 18. He's signed on through 2025 and has a one-year club option.
Buck joins the Revolution after playing in the Revolution's academy since the age of 12. He spent his most recent season playing with New England Revolution II, where he featured in all 28 games, netting five goals and adding one assist. He took home the award for 2021 Academy Player of the Year.
The Arlington native is now the youngest player in the Revolution squad, and the second-youngest player to sign with the team behind Leominster native Diego Fagúndez who signed a homegrown deal in 2011 at the age of 15. A homegrown deal is a contract given to a player elevated from the youth academy.
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Revolution Technical Director Curt Onalfo said Buck is an exciting prospect with a bright future ahead of him.
"He's a young buck, he's a young stud," Onalfo said. "It's really cool but there's going to be ups and downs and it's how you deal with that adversity that ends up sometimes defining you."
As a midfielder, Buck will be competing for minutes with the likes of Revolution captain and 2021 MLS MVP Carles Gil and the rest of the Revolution midfield that helped break the league's single-season points record. Buck said he knows it won't be easy, but he's excited to get the opportunity to prove himself.
"I just know it's going to be a lot of hard work and it's going to be very difficult just to get minutes," Buck said. "Hopefully I can get on the field."
The Revolution are next in action on Feb. 15 when they take on Cavaly AS of Haiti for the first of two legs in the Round of 16 in the CONCACAF Champions League.
WBZ's Chris Fama (@CFamaWBZ) reports.
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