FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – The New England Revolution courses through the blood of the Klein family. Following in the footsteps of his father, Steve Klein, who played one season with the Revolution in 1997, 18-year-old midfielder Eric Klein has officially signed his first MLS contract to complete the pathway from Academy, to Revolution II, to the first team.
Klein started his journey with the Revolution through the club’s residency program, moving away from his home in Pennsylvania two years ago to live and train with New England’s academy teams. At 17, Klein was named the 2023-24 UnitedHealthcare Revolution Academy Player of the Year shortly after he signed his first professional contract with MLS NEXT Pro side, Revolution II.
“It means a lot. Coming from the Academy, this is what you dream of, playing for the first team and signing the contract. So, to finally do it, it feels good,” said Klein. “That’s why I came here. To sign a contract, makes it all worth it.”
Steve and Eric Klein are only the second-ever father-son duo to play for the Revolution, joining John and Ian Harkes. His dad, Eric explains, is someone who has always given him guidance along the way.
“It’s awesome, just the idea of it. It’s pretty cool, the fact that he played here,” said the teenager. “He was a huge help. He’d watch all the games and give me advice here and there, but wasn’t over-stepping or anything like that. He was great and he’s helped me a lot.”
Last season, Klein led the second team in minutes played (2,125) and just recently clocked both his first appearance and first start with the Revolution’s first team in New England’s Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup campaign.
“It gave me a bunch of confidence, the fact that, I think I showed myself, more importantly, that I can hold my own at that level and play with these guys. It gives me confidence for the rest of this year, for sure,” he said.
Following the U.S. Open Cup games, head coach Caleb Porter expressed pride in the club’s development of young talent, emphasizing the value of a vertically integrated system that allows players to rise through the ranks.
“We’re a club that’s vertically integrated. There’s no first team, second team; it’s one team, it’s one club. We want young players coming through,” Porter said following the first Open Cup match against Rhode Island FC.
Klein is a product of that system, climbing the ladder to the Revolution’s MLS roster. He was available on the bench for New England’s regular season game this past weekend in Kansas City, though didn’t appear in the 3-3 draw. For the 18-year-old, this contract is exactly what he’s been working for, but it’s also just the start of his journey. With a long road still ahead, young Klein has gotten a jumpstart on what could be a very promising career.
“I’ve just got to keep working,” he said. “Obviously, it’s a big step, but there’s still a long way to go and I just want to try my best and help the team win as much as they can and just do my job.”
