Revolution sign fifth ever Homegrown Player

The New England Revolution have signed their fifth ever Homegrown Player, as midfielder Nicolas Firmino has joined his local team ahead of the 2019 season.

Firmino, 17, is a Somerville, MA resident and Mantena, Brazil native. He has been part of the Revolution Academy since 2014, collecting over 35 goals in 90 appearances.

“Nicolas has grown tremendously over his four-plus years developing in our Academy, distinguishing himself by both his technical abilities and maturity on and off the field,” General Manager Michael Burns said in a team press release. “After closely tracking his progress in the Academy, and with the success he has had in first team training sessions over the last year, we are confident that Nicolas is ready to take this critical next step in his development.”

Firmino is already familiar with some of the Revolution’s first team players, as he trained alongside them before and during the 2018 season. He was with the team during their preseason trip to Tucson, AZ and traveled to Minnesota and New York in July. He will now call these players his full-time teammates.

“It’s a blessing to be taking this important step forward in my career and I look forward to taking full advantage of this opportunity with the Revolution,” Nicolas Firmino said. “I believe that my time in the Academy and the key experience I gained training with the first team over the last year have prepared me to compete at the professional level. I would like to thank Michael Burns, Brad Friedel, Bryan Scales and the Academy coaching staff, and the entire Revolution organization for believing in me.”