When New York City FC were preparing for their first foray into Major League Soccer, they needed a leader, someone to represent them to the league, to provide experienced, knowledgeable influence in the dressing room, and to lead the squad into these new endeavours.
In David Villa, NYCFC found the perfect individual. He may not have played in MLS previously and had much to learn about the league, America, and the oddities of football in MLS, but he was a World Cup winner, one of the greatest strikers of his generation, and willing to work hard, on and off the pitch.