Maybe New York Red Bulls striker Jozy Altidore should call New England Revolution midfielder Brandon Manzonelli for some advice about living in Spain.
Manzonelli recently returned to the United States after a year playing for Villarreal CF in Spain, the club where Altidore is slated to move during the summer transfer window.
If the St. Louis native's experience is any indication, the move will provide new perspective for Altidore.
"I enjoyed it a lot," Manzonelli said. "It was a different culture. It was a very technical style of play. That's what I like. It's what I do and it's what I'm known for."
His technical ability once drew comparisons from Manchester United coaches to United and Portugal winger Cristiano Ronaldo, with Manzonelli's red boots and studs in his ears the proper accoutrements to complete the comparison. After impressing at a camp in the St. Louis area, he went on trial in England with Blackburn when the Man United coach who spotted him moved to the Lancashire club and then trained with Manchester City. Villarreal picked him up after he impressed while playing for them on trial at a youth tournament.
But Manzonelli's stay at the Spanish club came to a premature end after he could not obtain the Italian citizenship he needed to stay at the club as a European Union player.
"We got a call and we pursued it from there," Revolution manager Steve Nicol said. "We didn't sign him blind. We brought him in for a week and liked what we saw, so we signed him."
Manzonelli said he was pleased to impress the Revs during his trial period and seal his deal.
"I came up here for four days," Manzonelli said. "I trained pretty well. The next day, Steve Nicol called me into his office and they said they wanted me. I had a big smile on my face. I was pretty ecstatic."
Now that Manzonelli has earned a place on the developmental roster, Nicol has to figure out where he fits into his squad.
"He's got ability," Nicol said. "At the present time, we're trying to decide where he'll fit in best for us. He can play in midfield and he can play up top. We'll have to see how it pans out and where he'll be best for us."
Manzonelli said that Nicol has switched him around the midfield and the forward line as a part of that experiment.
"He's switched me around a few times in practice between wing midfield, central midfield, and forward," Manzonelli said. "In the games, I've been playing forward. I've always played wing mid. I'm used to getting wide and getting a cross off. I like that, but I can play forward as well. I'll do whatever what he wants me to."
No matter his position, Manzonelli promises to bring a bit of flair once he cracks into the side.
"I'm really tricky," Manzonelli said. "I have a lot of speed. My two key points are my speed and the first touch and then all of the other touches I take after that. It gets fancy."
Kyle McCarthy is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
