For a player who has spent just one week in Columbus and one minute on the pitch for Crew SC, Jack McInerney already has a pretty firm grasp of the teammates around him.
For one, it didn't take him very long to figure out who are the biggest pranksters on the team.
"Everyone’s a prankster," he says. "I think if you just kind of get to know them, you see who’s going to get to do the crazy stuff and who’s pretty quiet. Mo [Saeid] thinks he’s a prankster, and it’s the first time I’ve met him. So, I’m just enjoying being around new players and a new team."
Prior to arriving in Columbus from the Montreal Impact, McInerney had already made acquaintances with Ben Speas, Hector Jiménez, Justin Meram, Chad Barson, Kei Kamara and captain Michael Parkhurst. Of that group, McInerney knows Parkhurst the best, since the two were roommates for nearly a month during the United States’ 2013 Gold Cup run.
Having known some of his teammates prior to his arrival has helped McInerney overcome the “new kid in school” feeling and transition smoothly.
“It’s funny how it works sometimes,” he says. “You get to know guys, then you’re gone for a while, and then all the sudden you’re right back to where you started.”
McInerney's start with his new club has been a good one so far. Crew SC picked up three points in his first match with the club, in which he made a brief appearance, and McInerney and company now find themselves in the midst of an 11-day break between matches.
That break serves not only as recuperation time, but a period in which McInerney, along with other new arrivals Cedrick Mabwati, Harrison Afful and Gaston Sauro, can continue to acclimate to their new environment.
So far, McInerney has enjoyed his move to Columbus and he is certain his transition on the pitch will be a smooth one as his style of play fits well into Sporting Director and Head Coach Gregg Berhalter’s system.
“I think everyone knows I’m kind of a poacher in front of goal,” McInerney says. “The team does well building up, getting wide and putting balls into the box, and that’s kind of how I’ve scored most of the goals in my career.”
Scoring goals has come naturally to McInerney. He just turned 23 last Wednesday and has already scored 36 goals in MLS, good for the second-most among players younger than 23.
McInerney can't wait to add to his goal total for the Black & Gold.
"I think the team’s pretty confident in where we are right now and how we’re playing," he says, "so if I could just get on the field and make an impact for the team, I’ll be happy."
