FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – Another local kid is staying local.
Homegrown player Scott Caldwell, last year’s Santander Team MVP and Player’s Player of the Year, has signed a contract extension with the New England Revolution, it was announced on Tuesday night. Caldwell becomes the second Massachusetts native to sign a new deal with the club in recent months following the extension of Wellesley product Chris Tierney in December.
Caldwell’s deal was finalized just days before he’ll kick off his fourth season with the Revs, and according to General Manager Michael Burns, it’ll keep Caldwell in New England for “multiple more years.”
“He’s played well and played pretty regularly for us over his first three years, so to get him locked up for multiple more years and to keep him at home (is exciting),” Burns said.
Caldwell has indeed been a regular for the Revolution since his rookie year, amassing 89 appearances (69 starts) as a holding midfielder. The 24-year-old set career highs last year as he appeared in all 34 regular-season games and led the Revs with 2,882 minutes played.
The numbers give a sense of Caldwell’s value on the field, but Burns also praised the Braintree native for his presence in both the locker room and the community.
“He’s not just a good player for us and a Homegrown player for us, but he’s a super guy,” Burns said. “He’s the kind of guy you want in the organization. He’s the kind of guy you want in the locker room. He’s as professional as can be, both on and off the field.
“We’re happy – very happy, actually – that he wanted to sign and get a deal done to remain here.”
The timing of Caldwell’s deal – five days before the season opener in Houston – was no coincidence. While contract discussions have been ongoing, Caldwell was steadfast in his desire to get negotiations out of the way before the season kicked off, so his singular focus could be on the field.
“He was pretty adamant in his discussions with us that he wanted to either get something done or not get something done before the opening game of the season,” Burns said. “I respect his professionalism for that, because he wants to fully put that behind him and concentrate on the season.”
“That was ideal,” Caldwell said of getting a deal done before March 6. “Now we can just focus on the game. I’m really getting excited to go to Houston and work from there.”
Caldwell has been a Revolution fan favorite since he first suited up for the first team on March 16, 2013, largely because the club’s supporters identify with a player who once sat in the stands at Gillette Stadium and watched the Revs as a fan himself.
For Caldwell, continuing to play in front of those supporters – not to mention his friends and family – was a critical factor in re-upping with his hometown team.
“That was huge for me,” Caldwell said. “It’s amazing to put on the jersey of the team I grew up watching and in front of the fans that I’ve played for the last three years. I’m really excited to continue to do that in front of friends and family, and I’m just looking forward to this year.”
