“This club is the club that gave me a chance to live out my dream, be a professional athlete, professional soccer player. It’s been a wild ride.”
Andrew Farrell has been with the New England Revolution his entire career and on Saturday he will record his 300th MLS regular season appearance.
Drafted in 2013 by New England, Farrell has been a staple of New England’s back line since entering the league. He has recorded at least 30 regular season appearances all but two times in his career from 2013-2021 and the center back is about to make his 28th appearance on Saturday.
Bruce Arena noted the center back’s durability when talking about him reaching 300 MLS appearances.
“I think durability is one of [Andrew Farrell’s] great strengths,” Arena said. “You can almost write his name in every game. He plays hurt, he’s very fit, he’s a good leader on the field. He’s been a real solid player for our team and 300 games is a remarkable accomplishment.”
While primarily known for his acrobatic clearances and strong play in the back, Farrell has notched two goals and 12 assists in his career. His passing has been noticeably better this season with long balls from the center back jump starting New England’s attack at times. Farrell has two assists so far in 2022.
The center back touched upon the milestone and the fact that he did it all with New England on Thursday.
“This club is the club that gave me a chance to live out my dream, be a professional athlete, professional soccer player. It’s been a wild ride,” Farrell stated. “I’ve loved every single minute – the ups and downs, all the players I’ve played with, the coaches, the coaching staff, the medical staff, everybody in the front office. It’s been a wonderful time, so it’s been awesome to be able to hit that milestone.”
The club has also allowed him to make some friends for life, one of those being former Revs goalkeeper and current Arsenal netminder Matt Turner. Turner showed up to his media availability sporting a Gunners kit and took some time to talk about Turner who made his debut on Thursday in UEFA Europa League play.
“I’m excited for Matt [Turner],” Farrell said. “I talked to him a little bit about his opportunity tonight. I’m excited to watch. It starts in a little bit, like 30 minutes. So, I’m going to get through with this and then head home and tune in for his debut.”
Turner and the Gunners defeated Arsenal 2-1. While failing to stop a penalty kick, Turner recorded two saves in his victorious debut.
But even for players who haven’t been in New England for long, they realize what Farrell brings to the team. Current Revs goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic stated that Farrell is “a great player” when asked about the center back.
“He’s full of energy and enthusiasm and he increases good spirits in the entire team,” Petrovic said. “It’s really great to cooperate with him both on the fields and off the field.”
Farrell should be remembered by Revolution fans for being a constant presence in what was an ever-changing backline. Through thick and thin he was there doing his job and leading New England on and off the field, a job he is still doing 300 games into his MLS career.