NYCFC Makes Rye Teen James Sands Its First Homegrown Signee

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Sixteen-year-old James Sands made history Wednesday, becoming the first Homegrown Player to sign with NYCFC.

The Rye native, along with his twin brother, Will, began training at the NYCFC academy in 2015. Sands joined the first-team roster this preseason. The defensive midfielder turned heads in a 2-2 draw against Emelec in Ecuador, exhibiting his calmness, maturity and technical skills in front of a crowd of 40,000.

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"I'm really excited and looking forward to it," Sands told NYCFC.com. "It's a big dream come true for me. Ever since I was little playing in my backyard until now, I've always been looking forward to, when can I be a pro? But especially when you consider what a great club this is and in just a few short years how much it has grown, to be the first homegrown is really special."

Sands plays center back for the U.S. national under-17 team that will travel to India in October for the U17 World Cup. He'll train with NYCFC around his international obligations.

"It's an exciting day for James, for the football club and for the academy to have our first Homegrown Player sign," NYCFC sporting director Claudio Reyna told NYCFC.com. "It's a special moment, and we couldn't have asked for a better person to be the first.

Added coach Patrick Vieira: "He came with us on preseason, and he did really well, showing us how good he is. He fully deserves this contract. He's a young talent, and now we have to help him to develop that talent."