Noel Buck: Wise beyond his years

Noel Buck recently celebrated his 17th birthday, his first since signing a first team contract with the New England Revolution. While some might expect a lavish party to take place, Buck kept it simple.

“I just had a nice dinner with my family,” he said after training.

That’s just the type of guy Buck is, even at such a young age, he talks and operates like a 10-year veteran. The midfielder is wise beyond his 17 years on the planet.

For example, take into account how he answers questions about injuries. His teammate Damian Rivera talked about his ability as a player and mentioned “that when he is healthy again,” Buck can help Rivera get behind opponents whether it is with the first or second team.

When asked about his injury, Buck said that it has been a hard couple of weeks but wouldn’t give any specifics.

“It’s just everywhere,” he said when asked if it was an upper-body or lower-body injury.

That response will make Bruce Arena and maybe even Bill Belichick proud. Buck concluded the interview by saying that he hopes to return to the playing field very soon.

The Arlington, Massachusetts native has been with the Revolution Academy since he was 12 years old. He is currently the youngest member of the first team roster and is New England’s second-youngest Homegrown Player signing.

Buck appeared in 28 games last season for Revs II tallying five goals and an assist. He was one of just two players to play in all 28 USL League One games and was second on the team in goals.

“Noel Buck is a player with very good potential, and we are excited to see how he responds with the challenge of competing and contributing to the first team,” said Bruce Arena when the Homegrown signing was announced.

No matter if it is with the first team or second team, fans will be itching to see the 17-year-old return to the Gillette Stadium pitch and it sounds like that could happen quite soon.