Exclusive: Jaylin Lindsey inks a multi-year MLS contract with Charlotte FC
Charlotte native Jaylin Lindsey will play for his hometown Major League Soccer team for at least a few more years. The 22-year-old defender and former Sporting Kansas City player has signed a new contract with Charlotte FC through 2024 with a club option for 2025, The Observer has learned.
Lindsey joined Charlotte FC in December during the half-day trade window as part of a deal between Charlotte and Sporting KC, where Lindsey rose through the team’s academy ranks to sign a Homegrown Player contract and earn significant minutes with the first team. That was before an expansion team arrived in Charlotte for its inaugural season this year.
Lindsey has played every minute for Charlotte FC (2-4-0). He spoke with The Observer about being a young league veteran, honing his leadership skills and Charlotte FC’s upcoming “revenge game” against Atlanta United this Sunday at 1:30 p.m.
This interview has been lightly edited for brevity and clarity.
Alex Andrejev: You’re a Charlotte native, so first, I’ve gotta ask: Duke or UNC fan? Did you watch any of the (NCAA men’s basketball) Final Four?
Jaylin Lindsey: I’m gonna say UNC-Chapel Hill. I’m only saying that because obviously growing up, that was one of the biggest schools around here in Charlotte. UNC-Chapel Hill was kind of everybody’s dream growing up, in elementary school and middle school, and same thing with me. Before signing a professional contract, I was verbally committed to UNC, so that’s where I have my soft spot for UNC-Chapel Hill. (Lindsey signed with Sporting Kansas City’s Academy in 2015, went to high school in Kansas and spent most of his life there between then and returning to Charlotte late last year, but he maintained that he rooted for UNC in the final despite having a Kansas jersey.)
AA: You have a new contract with Charlotte FC through at least 2024 (club option for 2025). What does it mean to you to continue to play here? How much does it feel like committing to home?
JL: It’s an amazing moment in my career for me for sure. This is kind of like my second contract throughout my professional career. It’s something that I’m very happy and passionate about, being here, being from Charlotte, and actually playing for the club of Charlotte. I feel like coming here, the first couple games, I’ve done really well and that’s where part of me is proud of myself for getting to this point, getting this contract extension, because it wasn’t just given to me. I had to put hard work into it. Being here with the team is great, especially with (head coach) Miguel (Ángel Ramírez) and the coaching staff. It’s been amazing so far. I can’t complain at all, and now to sign a contract extension with this club, it really means the world to me.
AA: You’ve become a key player for Charlotte FC, starting and playing every minute so far. What do you think has set you apart and allowed you to be a staple in the lineup?
JL: I think for me as a player, I bring energy to the team. I think one big thing that’s helped me a lot this year is to realize that I’m one of the players on this team that, even though I’m considered a young guy, I still have experience in this league. This is my fifth year in the league, and it’s crazy to say that, but me being in my fifth year in this league, I can show the other guys what this league is about and what they can expect. So I’ve kind of taken that leadership role a little bit in this team, which is an honor. At the same time, I’ve gotta keep myself in check and learn from captains like Guzmán (Corujo) and (Christian) Fuchs. It’s been a really good experience learning from them. I think what sets me apart is my consistency in play as well as my experience and leadership.
AA: How did you develop that leadership quality? I imagine some of that came at Sporting, playing behind a player like Graham (Zusi).
JL: It’s a little tough. Like I said before, me being a young guy, sometimes you have older players that may not listen to you all the time, but being from Sporting, I learned from guys like Graham Zusi and Matt Besler that taught me so much about leadership. They’ve played at the highest levels that maybe one day I can reach at some point…I can bring the exact stuff they taught me and bring it over here to guys that are maybe coming out of college or it’s their first professional contract. I can be (that) leader to them. At the same time, I can learn from Fuchs and Guzmán as well. It shows how much I’ve grown as a player and as a person. That’s one thing I consistently want to get better on is my leadership as well.
AA: How have you learned to play with Guzmán and develop that chemistry? You two are constants at right back and right center back.
JL: Guzmán is a great player and he has such a great personality. My first impression of Guzmán was when I met him during preseason and I was like, ‘Oh my god, this guy is the scariest guy I’ve ever seen.’ And then playing on the field with him, I was like, ‘This guy is like a soft teddy bear. He’s got a soft teddy-bear side.’ At the same time, he does have that passion to his game. He’s very fearless. There are things I learn from him as well. The language barrier isn’t 100 percent, but he’s been learning a lot (of English) and knows the basics for being on the field (‘left, right, step up, go’). It’s really nice to have that communication because it makes it a lot easier, obviously. At the same time, I’m trying to learn Spanish a little bit. I tried to talk to him in the Mic’d Up video and it didn’t go as planned. We’re both learning and trying to get better with each other’s chemistry and I think it just keeps getting better and better each game.
AA: How would you describe this team?
JL: One word I would have to say is hunger for this team … I think it’s just how hungry everybody is to either want to play or want to succeed as a team. You can see that each and every training session. Everyone goes out and they want to compete with each other, and at the same time we’re a team, but we’ve gotta have that side of us where we’re competitive and we’re going hard with each other. It’s about just pushing each other to our limits. And right now, I want to thank my teammates as well as part of this process of getting this contract extension. They’ve pushed me every single day since Day 1, since I came … into this team, they push me every single day to be better and better. The coaching staff as well. They’re the ones that are pushing the players, and the players have to do our part as well, and that’s the thing about this team. We go out to each and every game and you can just see the hunger in everybody’s eyes to go out and win, whether it’s a game or a small training drill. There are duels in training that we all want to win. That’s what pushes us to be better.
AA: Charlotte FC is coming off a tough loss on the road (2-0 to Philadelphia). You play Atlanta United this weekend at home. What’s the plan of attack?
JL: I think we’re all kind of gutted from the last result against Atlanta, obviously, with the second goal they scored (a deflected goal in stoppage time), so this is kind of a revenge game. Starting this week, going back to the competition part and competing, we’ve got to compete, whether it’s 90 minutes or it’s maybe added time. We’ve got to keep fighting no matter what. I think that’s the plan going into the game is that we’ve got to fight all the way to the final whistle…I think we’re all pushing each other to make each other better. Especially with people that are starting or not, we’re all fighting, and that’s what we need to do going into this game against Atlanta. Our plan of attack is to play our type of possession style of play, obviously come with the goals, and we’ve got to be solid defensively. I think on all sides of the ball, we need to be focused and ready to go.
