When Ryan Kent joined the Seattle Sounders, he wanted to use this experience as a way to rediscover his joy of football. Without a club since last October after an unceremonious end to his time in Turkey, the 28-year-old was looking for the right opportunity.
So far so good in Seattle. Kent, who’s been working his way back to full match fitness, has appeared in four matches with his first start coming in a 3-1 away win at the Houston Dynamo last weekend. The former Liverpool Academy alum has turned heads across the league with three assists and six key passes in just 124 minutes of action.
“I really feel as though I’ve landed in a great environment for myself, somewhere where I can express myself, be who I am without being judged upon,” said Kent on Tuesday. “I’m just really enjoying the short time that I have had here so far. I hope it continues this way.”
The Sounders are hoping it continues this way as well. Seattle is unbeaten in the four matches Kent has played in (3-0-1) and has been one of the best attacking teams in the league over the past month, outscoring its opponents 11-3.
“Getting that 60 minutes in was important,” Kent said of his start in Houston. “I felt good after the game, and I feel good this week, which is important as well.”
Kent has been leading by example on the pitch. He’s a direct, no-nonsense type of winger who has an innate sense of where his new teammates are on the pitch, even as he begins to get more comfortable with them. Kent credits watching some Sounders matches before signing to try and better understand the squad and the types of players and system he was joining.
“He’s a different kind of leader,” said Head Coach Brian Schmetzer. ‘The stuff he does on the ball, you can tell he’s a good soccer player and his teammates know he’s a good soccer player. That type of leadership can be powerful…You love when a guy is serious about getting his career jump-started again, and he’s doing the work to be prepared. I love it.”
Said Kent: “I was speaking to the coach after the game the other day, about how there are different [types of] leaders in the team. You’ve got the vocal characters. I feel as though I’m one of the people who can lead the team with the ball at my feet. I’m never afraid to get on the ball.”
Kent has worked on simplifying his game through the years. There were times early on where he would try and do difficult things on the pitch that were either ineffective or unnecessary. As he’s matured, so has his approach to the game.
“That’s something I’ve had to learn as well, not overcomplicating things,” he said. “As soon as I’ve got the ball and I can go 1-v-1 with someone in a dangerous situation, that’s where I need to be. I need to be a killer in that scenario…In certain games, I only need one opportunity to get past my opponent to make something happen.”
The Sounders will need Kent to be a difference-maker yet again with two massive road matches looming this week. Seattle will first head to Los Angeles for a clash with LAFC on Wednesday (7:30 p.m. PT; Watch on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV, FREE on Apple TV+, 93.3 KJR FM, El Rey 1360AM) before a momentous clash in Portland against the Timbers on Saturday (6:30 p.m. PT; FS1, FOX Deportes, MLS Season Pass on Apple TV).
Rivalry matches are something Kent lives for and takes a lot of pride in. He’s been a part of two of the biggest rivalries in world football, lining up with Rangers against Celtic in the Old Firm in Scotland, and with Fenerbahçe against Galatasaray in the Intercontinental Derby in Turkey.
“As a footballer, I thrive on that kind of stuff,” said Kent. “Some people may shy away from it, but I love being involved in games like that. You feel the energy around the stadium, you feel the buildup. There’s a sudden shift when you’re on the pitch. There’s an extra five percent of people’s tackles, people are running just that little bit harder.
“I want to make a mark on MLS,” he continued. “I definitely want people to know who I am. I’ve come here to be one of the best players in the league. These are the games where you’re recognized for that, but it’s not just one individual game. I want to be doing it week in and week out.”
