Andy Najar was the best story for D.C. United this season — and arguably its only good one.
It got better Wednesday when the 17-year-old midfielder was named Major League Soccer rookie of the year, the youngest player by more than four years to win the award.
Najar is the first former MLS academy member to graduate to the first team and earn the league honor. He’s the first United player to win the award since Ben Olsen in 1998 — Olsen bequeathed his No. 14 jersey to Najar when he was signed before the season.
Najar’s ascent has been rapid from the time he arrived in the United States from Honduras at age 13. He was turned away by the D.C. United academy in 2007 because he was too young, but by this winter he had dropped out of Edison High in Alexandria to turn pro. Earlier this week, he was named United’s MVP.
D.C. United expects to send Najar to Europe to train with a top-tier club this winter — he’ll eventually be sold to one, too. Meanwhile, Najar faces constant inquiries about his international future. He has a U.S. green card but remains ineligible for the U.S. national team, which suits Honduras just fine, as it is desperate to secure his services.
“This was my dream, always,” Najar said. “When I was in Honduras, I said, ‘If I got to the USA, then I want to be a professional player. I’m going to work hard because the older people, the Latinos, they come here to have a better future.’ And that’s what I did. I’m working hard, and I’m still going to work hard for next season.”
