In the latest update in our ongoing series, we corner New York Red Bulls midfielder Mehdi Ballouchy and shoot him a few questions about life in the MLS and the Big Apple...
Name: Mehdi Ballouchy
Position: New York Red Bulls Midfielder
Birthplace: Casablanca, Morocco
D.O.B: April 6, 1983
When did you start playing soccer?
When I was about four years old, I was always kicking a ball in front of the house. I grew up in Morocco and everybody played soccer on the street.
Who were your favourite players?
I watched a lot of soccer back then. Some of my favourite players were Roberto Baggio and Zinedine Zidane. I admired them very much, but I was just generally very into the game. It wasn’t any one player or coach who influenced me so much as just watching soccer as much as I could that helped me develop as a player.
Which team did you support?
I liked Baggio when he was at Juventus, so I kind of followed Serie A, but I also really liked Real Madrid when Zinedine Zidane was there. My favourite clubs were the ones that had my favourite players.
'I wanted to play soccer since I was a kid and to have the opportunity to do it for a living is just amazing.'
What does it mean for you to be with New York Red Bulls?
It’s a dream come true. I wanted to play soccer since I was a kid and to have the opportunity to do it for a living is just amazing. I'm so happy about that.
What do you like about living in The City That Never Sleeps?
New York is a great city. You have the best restaurants serving great food from all over the world and I think it is a great mixture that you can’t find anywhere else.
Do you have a favourite restaurant?
There’s a little restaurant in Manhattan called Casaville. They serve a mixture of Moroccan and French cuisine - and it’s really, really good.
What’s it like to play with big stars like Thierry Henry and Rafa Marquez?
They are amazing, just great players. They’ve won everything, for example Titi (Thierry Henry) won the Champions League, the World Cup and the European Championship. Just to be able to be around them every day at practice is unbelievable and a big accomplishment for me.
What are your aims for the future?
I just want to keep playing as much as I do now. The most important thing is that I get to do what I love for living and I just try to enjoy every single day.
Want more?
- Visit New York Red Bulls' official site
- Player profile: Mehdi Ballouchy
- Video: Watch Neymar at Red Bull Street Style
- Click here for more football
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