It’s a little something old and something new in Frisco. FC Dallas on Thursday announced they have signed midfielder Ramón Núñez and Homegrown goalkeeper Jesse Gonzalez.
Honduran native Núñez (above), who moved to Dallas as a child and played under Schellas Hyndman during his college years at SMU, returns to the club where he spent the first three seasons of his professional career.
During his time with FC Dallas, he appeared in 67 games, scoring 14 goals and tallying nine assists. He left FCD in 2007 for Chivas USA, where he appeared in just eight games, tallying three assists. Following the 2007 season, Núñez began a five-year sojourn abroad, including stops back in his native Honduras, at Liga MX sides Puebla and Cruz Azul and in England with Championship side Leeds United and third-division Scunthorpe United.
In September 2012, Núñez suffered a torn ACL and, upon mutually terminating his contract with Leeds, returned home to Dallas in February to train with his original club.
“I am very happy to be working with Ramón again,” Hyndman said in a club statement. “He has the qualities to help FC Dallas win championships. Ramon has the ability to break down opponents with his quick, explosive movements and he will help create goals for his teammates as well as score goals himself for FC Dallas.”
Núñez, who played in the 2010 World Cup for Honduras, has five goals in 44 appearances for his native country.
Gonzalez, meanwhile, becomes the 10th Homegrown player to sign a professional contract with FC Dallas, the most produced by an MLS Academy. Born in Edenton, N.C., Gonzalez is also a Mexican youth international, like fellow FCD Academy graduate Richard Sanchez.
“Jesse Gonzalez falls right in line with some of the other very good players that the FC Dallas Academy has produced, in particular, Richard Sanchez,” said Hyndman. “[FC Dallas goalkeeper coach] Drew Keeshan rated Jesse very high initially and he has continued to develop in the time he has been in our academy system. Jesse has good size. He’s athletic and seems to be a hard worker. We think he has a bright future with FC Dallas.”
Gonzalez becomes the fifth goalkeeper on FCD’s suddenly croweded first-team roster, joining starter Raúl Fernández, Chris Seitz, Sanchez and 2013 Supplemental Draft pick Kyle Zobeck.
