After an impromptu introduction to Fire faithful on the day of his arrival, the Chicago Fire formally welcomed forward Michael de Leeuw to the club at a press conference held at Toyota Park Tuesday afternoon.
The 29-year-old Dutchman was flanked by Fire General Manager Nelson Rodriguez and Head Coach Veljko Paunovic as he spoke to his experiences and expectations with Chicago media members for the first time.
“First of all, I’m very happy to sign here, very happy to be here finally,” de Leeuw said.
WATCH: Full Press Conference
The former FC Groningen man was announced as the newest member of the Men In Red on May 17, having spent the last four seasons with the same Dutch club as current Fire centerback Johan Kappelhof. The forward brings to Bridgeview a resumé that includes 46 goals in 117 games played during that span.
“We are all very happy and excited to have Michael with us,” Fire head coach Veljko Paunovic said. “We believe he can help us on our offensive side, to improve our numbers and our performance. We also believe that Michael is very experienced and his soccer lifestyle will help and positively influence our locker room, especially young players.”
Much has been made of where exactly de Leeuw will slot into Paunovic’s lineup, but the Eredivisie veteran was quick to note that he’s confident in his abilities no matter where he's positioned.
“You have a (No.) 9 and a (No.) 10, and I’m very good in between,” de Leeuw said. “I can also play in the role of a number 10. All the positions I can play good, so for me it doesn’t matter which.”
Paunovic was quick to elaborate.
“I believe he’s a great fit because he can play as a No. 9, as a No. 10,” he said. “Right now if we are playing a 4-3-1-2, he can occupy any of those positions in attack. As he said, he’s more the guy who we have to bring the game close to the goal, in the box, where he feels comfortable. We have to manage to do that and in that order we believe that we can have the full potential of Michael.”
The formal introduction of de Leeuw capped what has been long process to bring him to the Windy City, one that began way back when the club was scouting Kappelhof and one that Rodriguez believes will pay dividends on numerous fronts.
“We are thrilled to add Michael’s winning character to our locker room,” he said. “He wanted this challenge, and that was very important to us. He selected us as much as we selected him. We believe that he is a champion.”
As eager as he is to take the field, de Leeuw is ineligible to play for the Fire until the secondary transfer market opens on July 4. All signs point to the Fire’s clash at Toronto FC on July 9 as the first match he’ll be available for selection to Paunovic’s squad. Rodriguez addressed expectations for the player in the meantime.
“I would only ask that the fans be patient,” he said. “Acclimation to Major League Soccer is difficult. This is not an easy league. There are no easy games. This is the most competitively balanced league in the world top-to-bottom, but I’m sure given time, our fans will come to love Michael’s personality on and off the field.”
With the aforementioned acclimation time ahead of him, de Leeuw will have plenty of time to focus on the challenge that lies ahead for he and his new teammates.
“I’ll get to know the players, get to know everyone, the city,” he said. “I want to show Chicago -- show everyone -- what I can do, what my capabilities are.”
