FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – Wilfrid Kaptoum has only a handful of training sessions under his belt with the New England Revolution, but he has already managed to make quite the first impression.
“He’s coming in and he’s working his tail off, and for me, that’s the biggest sign of a good player is coming in and being willing to work, and wanting to push himself and his teammates,” said Teal Bunbury, one of Kaptoum’s new teammates. “That’s something that I’m looking at; he’s really comfortable on the ball, he can get stuck in, but for me being a hard worker is a telltale sign of someone who’s going to help this team out a lot, and he’s doing that so far.”
“It’s only been (a few) days, but I’m sure he’s going to bring a lot,” added Carles Gil, who crossed paths with Kaptoum when they both played in Spain. “He’s a very dynamic player. I think he can help us and hopefully he can. Last year we showed that we have a very competitive team, and I think that if we add good players to this group, we can do important things.”
Kaptoum highlights the Revolution’s offseason additions, embarking on a new adventure in MLS after rising through Barcelona’s famed La Masia youth academy and breaking into the first team ranks with the Catalan giants, before more recent Spanish spells with Real Betis and Almeria.
Just 24 years old but already with seven years of professional experience, Kaptoum is prepared for an adjustment period in MLS. He moved from his native Cameroon to join La Masia at just 12 years old and has since been based exclusively in Spain, and he’s already noticing some marked differences in style through his first week of training.
“I think (MLS and Spain) are different leagues,” Kaptoum said, speaking Spanish via interpreter but also answering one question in English, showing a range of communication skills. “Here, I think the first impression I had is that the soccer is more physical and it’s good technically, too, compared to Spain, which is much more technical than physical.
“I think with the work we’re doing here during the preseason, we’re going to have a good season. I feel very strong to give the team my best and help the team reach its goals.”
Kaptoum can help the Revs achieve those goals by locking down a spot in central midfield, where head coach Bruce Arena said he’s a technical player with good passing range, while also acknowledging the likely adjustment period. He joins a group of central midfielders featuring the likes of Luis Caicedo, Scott Caldwell, Tommy McNamara, and Matt Polster, all of whom have vast MLS experience.
The next six weeks will prove valuable for Kaptoum as he finds his footing both within the league and his new club, but any concerns about a language barrier were wiped away when he was asked how communication has been handled during his introduction to the squad.
“I will answer this in English,” he said with a smile. “With my teammates, I understand a little bit more than I speak English. So when my teammates or the technical staff speaks, sometimes I need translation, but sometimes I understand like I’m doing now. At the beginning it was a little bit difficult, but with time I tried to understand a little bit more and speak better. It’s not easy, but I try to understand well and answer well.
“Not bad, my English, no?”
Not bad at all, Wilfrid. Not bad at all.
