When Jermaine Jones signed with the New England Revolution after the 2014 World Cup, there was no predicting just how expansive of an impact he would have on the franchise.
He galvanized the fanbase, brought the Revs within inches of winning MLS Cup and had on off-field presence that's hard to put into words. In short, Jones transformed life at Gillette Stadium, but departed on a somewhat sour note when he was traded last Friday to the Colorado Rapids.
Memories will always be tainted with Jones' furious reaction towards Mark Geiger in the 2015 playoffs, but his teammates aren't wrapped up in that singular moment or the ensuing six-game suspension. Specifically, Charlie Davies is pleased to see the U.S. national team midfielder find a new home.
"I’m very happy for Jermaine," the striker said. "He’s a close friend of mine and I would love for him to still play. I’m glad that it worked out for him and the family, as well as for the New England Revolution. With that being said, I wish him the best of the luck as always and think it’s good for both parties that we both can kind of move on."
Meanwhile, Jay Heaps explained this past offseason's saga took a toll and was not as straightforward as both parties would have liked. Moreover, Jones was out of contract and several disputes arose about how many years and how much money New England was willing to commit.
"I think there was a combination of things and it wasn't one or another," Heaps said. "In reality I think we loved having him here, I loved coaching him, I think he impacted our group immensely. But the offseason was not as fluid as it would be with the suspension and with the national team and being a world free agent, not a free agent within in our league. It confused matters a little bit."
However, with a clear resolution there is some closure on the legacy Jones left in New England. There's no bad blood from New England's point of view, and there will be nothing but respect when Colorado visits Gillette Stadium Sept. 3.
"I think there was always the sentiment that he wanted to be closer to home and when everything finalized, I think it was the best possible scenario for both sides," Heaps said.