Philadelphia Union announced Tuesday that the club has signed Homegrown Mark McKenzie to a long-term contract as a Designated Player, bringing the Union Academy product back to the Blue and Gold after time in Europe with Genk and Toulouse, along with a World Cup campaign with the U.S. Men’s National Team.
Ahead of the official announcement, McKenzie sat down to reflect on what this homecoming means to him, how the opportunity came together, and what he hopes to bring to the next chapter of his Union career.
It's official! You've signed to return to your hometown club. What does this opportunity to continue your legacy in Philadelphia mean to you?
“I think it's even more special now because I'm coming back as a dad. To start out my career here, to have dreams and aspirations, to go abroad to Europe, to have accomplished some special things while I was there, and to have played in the World Cup. I think having my son while I was away, now to have the chance to come back to play in front of my family and loved ones, it means a lot to me, and I think it shows just how much family means to me.”
You will be going from a Homegrown to a Designated Player. Is that difficult to wrap your head around?
“Surreal is the only way I can really describe it because I wouldn't have probably thought, when I was back in the academy, that I'd come through and progress all the way to this point. But I don't really see myself as, like, the ‘Designated Player.’ I feel like it's kind of just a progression of me. I was the young kid signing with the first team. Now, a bit more maturity, a bit more experience, and hopefully a bit more leadership than I had when I was 18, and I can hopefully lead this team to more success in the future.”
You mentioned becoming a dad. A lot has changed for you personally since you left the club. Can you tell us some of those big life changes that you've experienced?
“I got married, had my first child, and he's everything. My parents are grandparents. I think that's something special as well. They're here now to celebrate this moment with me, but they've invested a lot now to carry on the legacy of the McKenzie family. It's incredible.
I've been able to play in the World Cup. It's no small task either, but a blessing nonetheless. I've been able to play in Europa League and Champions League and Conference League, won a domestic trophy with Genk in Belgium, played against some of the best players in the world, specifically with Toulouse. So I think you kind of condense it all into that little bunch, but I've had some real special moments take place over the last few years since I've left.”
What do you hope to add to this team on the field?
“Just composure, leadership, personality, and reliability. I think those are probably the four best words I can use to describe it. Having had those experiences of playing in Europe, playing in the national team, playing in the World Cup, it's allowed me the chance to learn about myself, to figure out ways that I needed to improve, areas that I needed to step up in, areas that I had strengths in but continued to build on.
So now, to come back and see the group already having the success it's having, especially over this last run since the World Cup — 12 games unbeaten is not anything small or anything to take for granted. Ultimately, I think reliability is something I just want to bring back to the group. Somebody the guys can depend on inside the locker room, but on the pitch can look to when moments are going well and also when moments are a bit more difficult. I think those are key periods, especially for groups to be successful.
So, one piece in a puzzle, and hopefully I can bring those back here.”
You've experienced what it means to be a Philadelphia Union player, and you've also competed at the highest levels around the world. How valuable do you think that is for a leader when the Philadelphia Union often brings a lot of young players into the fold of the first team?
“I think it's extremely important, especially for a team with aspirations to be successful. When I signed with the first team, you know, we had a number of experienced guys as well as quite a few Homegrowns. It was myself, Fontana, Trusty, Real. We were kind of the baby faces in the dressing room, but you had the likes of guys like Ray Gaddis and Warren Creavalle. You had Ale, you had Dre.
You know, I remember Maurice Edu. That's honestly when I was more towards the academy. But you had guys like that — Oguchi Onyewu, Charlie Davies, Chris Pontius. All these guys had a lot of experience already, whether it was domestically or at the international level. They poured into us. Now, to have that opportunity to pour back into the guys coming up — guys like Cavan, Neil, Frankie, and Nathan Harriel — I think it's definitely something that I look forward to. But I don't think it's any small task either. It's a great deal of responsibility, so I'm looking forward to it.”
In leaving the club at age 20, you pursued a dream that many young soccer players have in the United States: to play in Europe. You played at Genk and Toulouse. How satisfying is it to have achieved that dream and to have found so much success doing it?
“I just say, ‘To God be the glory,’ man, because it's not by chance. I stepped into the academy, and I really wasn't the best player. I was just a guy who rolled up his sleeves. I was extremely competitive, maybe sometimes too competitive to the point of, you know, being too critical of myself. But nonetheless, I think it's pushed me to get to where I am today.
Ultimately, I just wanted to be a pioneer, especially for the guys coming up, to have the experience of going abroad to Europe and making a name not only for myself but for Americans abroad. To play in some of the biggest competitions in world football, I think, is something every kid dreams of and, unfortunately, not everybody gets to experience. But to be one of the few Americans who have done it, I don't take that lightly.
Obviously, for me, one of the biggest things is also leaving behind a positive seed. Right? Everywhere I go, I try to leave a bit of myself. I try to leave a bit of light where everybody feels that, yeah, Mark had something different about him. For me to play in those competitions was special, and to play in those leagues and to play in those clubs was special. But I think leaving something of myself behind was probably even more important and even more gratifying.”
This has been a very significant year for you. What were your initial thoughts when the opportunity to maybe come back here first came across the desk?
“Well, I can tell you, it wasn't easy getting to this point. It was something that I don't think had crossed my mind. But until it's kind of in front of you, you don't realize how tangible it is.
Coming out of the World Cup, you know, we had that period where I just wanted to shut down, detach from football a little bit, and just spend time with family and disconnect. Then the reality was: What do I want next in my career? You know, what steps do I want to take now moving into this new period in my life, this new chapter in life, understanding that, you know, football has been a big part of who I am, but ultimately family probably trumps that.
When we got the call that Philly wanted to explore this possibility, I think it was just a matter of trying to iron out all the details and get to that point where it was just a simple, like, ‘All right, we just need to get you back here, get everything done.’ Obviously, football doesn't work like that, so there were some nuances to work out.
When it crossed the desk of my agent and I got the phone call from them, it became almost a no-brainer. To be able to step foot in the stadium again after all the experience that I've had. To be able to play in front of my family and loved ones. To have my son in the stands with my wife, and to know that our family is so close. To know that, you know, we're only a drive away or a quick flight away. I think all those pieces just made this the right decision and the best decision for not only myself, but the people I love most.
I'm blessed to have this opportunity to come back and have a second chapter as a Union player, but ultimately come back to achieve the same things and to win.”
There are academy players now who look up to you as a role model and see your journey to Europe as an example of what they one day want to achieve. What does that mean to you?”
“I think that's actually a tough one to answer. My dad always presses into me about being somebody who people are able to look at and be like, ‘There's something different about him.’ I've always tried to carry myself in that way. I've always tried to let the fruit of the Lord just emulate off of me, and not necessarily try to get the attention. I just wanted to be somebody who challenged people to be better. Somebody who people wanted to be around. Somebody who people wanted to ask questions of, because I had many individuals in my life who were that for me.
To hear young players say, ‘He's the guy who I look at,’ it's definitely something that I'm very humbled by. I see it as a big responsibility. Hopefully they look to the work that I'm doing, and I'm proud of that. Ultimately, for me, I want them to be better than I was and better than I am. That, for me, is more gratifying probably than any trophy or any success I could have in my career.”
