When the Montreal Impact selected defender Eric Miller in last week’s draft, sporting director Nick De Santis said that the team always expects their first round pick to be a player who contributes in their first season.
And he made a comparison to 2013 SuperDraft selection Blake Smith, who was Montreal’s first pick, 8th overall.
The native of El Paso, Texas, made 16 appearances in his rookie season for the Impact and as such, saw more action than 31 members of his fellow draft class.
“With a new coach, it’s a good chance for me to prove myself and earn more minutes this season.”
- Blake Smith
And in his second year, he plans to add to those minutes.
"I’m going to go into preseason and try to earn a starting role on the team," said Smith, who is back in Montreal and ready for medicals and physicals this weekend. "As a pro, you can’t go into there and expect to be a good backup player. You have to show up to training camp and compete to earn a spot and make positive contribution to the team and get more minutes."
Only five players were called upon more times than Smith in 2013, and in just 276 minutes played over those 16 appearances, Smith managed to tug at the heart strings of Impact fans with his speed and backflip goal celebrations, and he’ll be looked upon in 2014 for even more important minutes as he learned a few things in his rookie campaign.
“I’m going to go into preseason and try to earn a starting role on the team.”
“I learned how to live the lifestyle of a pro player and all the pressure that comes with that," explained the 23 year-old midfielder. "You have to train hard and practice every single day. The coaching staff last season focused on helping me improve my technical game. I feel I’ve improved in many areas, like passing in tight spaces and movement on the ball, while still growing on my strengths and giving good service."
"With a new coach, it’s almost like it’s a fresh start for me and a good chance for me to prove myself and earn more minutes this season."
