American midfielder was selected 34th overall in the second round
No trades this time around for the Montreal Impact at the 2019 MLS SuperDraft. With the 34th pick overall, Rémi Garde and his personnel opted to put their trust in young midfielder Amar Sejdic.
Born in Berlin, Sejdic moved to the United States when he was four with his parents, originally from Bosnia-Herzegovina. Funnily enough, he’s been told more than once that his style resembles that of Bosnian international Miralem Pjanic, a player Rémi Garde knows well from his time at Olympique Lyonnais.
“Maybe he saw a little but of him in me,” said Sejdic. “I like to think I’m a player with intellect. I play more with my mind and my feet are just the tools. I read the game well. The ball is my best friend and I like to keep it in my feet. I could handle and distribute the ball well, and I like giving my teammates the best scoring opportunities possible.”
Sejdic is coming off his senior year at the University of Maryland, where he captained the team in his final season. He led the group all the way to the NCAA men’s soccer final against Akron University, scoring the game’s lone goal to win the title, the fourth in the school’s history.
He would also be named the tournament’s Offensive Most Outstanding Player.
“We made history in 2018 by winning the national championship. Something like that shapes you for your entire life. It’s something I’ll always remember. It’s been a pleasure playing with those guys, but I guess now we’ll be enemies on the field. We’ll always be friends though outside of it.”
A mature midfielder
Rémi Garde and his staff took the time to meet with Sejdic during the MLS player combine, last week in Orlando. For Garde, it wasn’t only the midfielder’s play on the field that was impressive, but the way in which he carried himself off it as well.
“I felt a lot of maturity in the conversation we had together,” explained Garde. “Maybe it’s due to his German and Bosnian background. He’s also someone who processes information quickly and makes fast decisions. Now, it’s up to him to show me what he can contribute.”
Sejdic will have that chance at this year’s training camp, which is set to begin on January 21 in Bradenton, Florida. You can find more details on the entire training camp by clicking here. Earlier today, the Impact decided to pass on its pick in the third of the 2019 MLS SuperDraft.
