With the summer window being opened up for business, Matt Turner is now officially an Arsenal player. The goalkeeper spent six successful years in New England with the Revs, going from a squad player to a starter for the USMNT. For the final time, Turner spoke to the New England press about what has been and what is to come.
Matt Turner and his Final Words Before Leaving for England
His Career and Life so Far
“I came to soccer late, and because of that, I’ve always had to prove myself every single day. I always sort of had the decks stacked against me, so I didn’t have opportunities come flying at me all the time.” Matt Turner didn’t start playing until he was 14 and so wasn’t afforded the development that a lot of his colleagues will have enjoyed.
The New Jersey native quoted this late entry to the sport as an important obstacle for him to overcome. “One of my greatest strengths is that when the opportunities presented themselves, especially over the past few seasons, I was ready for them.”
Matt Turner met the media today for one of the final times as a member of the #NERevs pic.twitter.com/dkq6arrNxR
— New England Revolution (@NERevolution) June 17, 2022
As previously mentioned, Matt Turner was hardly an established name in the sport when he first arrived in Foxborough in 2016. This is where he has become not only an MLS regular, not only one of the best that the league has to offer, but also, an important piece in Gregg Berhalter’s USMNT set-up. “New England’s home for me, for my wife. She’s from Maine. It’s the place where I became an adult. It’s the place where I realized many of my dreams.”
Talking of his wife and as well as the fact that they’re expecting a baby, Turner pointed to his close-knit family as a key cog in his success. Beyond having a wide family that has had his back, he went on to say: “Obviously my mom and dad are great role models, both of my sisters athletically on the field, off the field academically, they were just amazing role models for me and people that I to this day continue to look up to.”
What Does the Future Hold for Matt Turner?
Matt Turner joins an elite group of players to switch Major League Soccer for English shores. Focusing on the culture shift, in his words, “It’s going to be an amazing journey, amazing step in my story, but that novelty will wear off pretty soon because I understand that going there, it’s going to require a lot of focus. It’s going to require a lot of dedication and sacrifice, and I’m going to have to put my best foot forward every single day if I want to have even a sniff of success.”
On the surface, it would be easy enough to say that the 27-year-old is stepping into an unknown world. Whilst he has home comforts in the US, he has more ties to England, and in particular London, than you’d expect. “Luckily I do have family there. My cousin actually lives in London… My goalkeeper coach here is from London, his family is still over there. Obviously, my college roommate lives in London.”
Big News: @headdturnerr is going to be a father! 🎉 pic.twitter.com/QsutcmWmgv
— New England Revolution (@NERevolution) March 3, 2022
There is a lot that Matt Turner could be nervous about regarding his new life. Arsenal is a massive club and he will constantly be in the spotlight no matter how often he features. Instead, though, he said this: “I think the thing I’m most nervous about is becoming a father.” The looming birth of his child is something that can ground him and put things in perspective when it comes to the struggles of professional sport.
Matt Turner has been an amazing player and an even better person during his time in Massachusetts. As well as highlighting a lot of his assets in the sport, coach Bruce Arena exclaimed that “There’s very few people in a sport with better character than Matt Turner.”
Click here to read his initial thoughts when the move was originally announced.
