As the LA Galaxy prepare for the opening of preseason, we know of another player who will not be returning once preseason starts up on Monday—midfielder Dan Keat.
The LA Galaxy Insider has learned that the New Zealand International will not return to the club for 2013 after making just three appearances in all competitions during an injury-riddled 2012 season. Keat fared slightly better in MLS Reserve League play by making five appearances. In his second year in MLS, Keat bounced across the field in search of minutes playing right back, central defense, and defensive midfield before right knee surgery in May caused him to miss nearly five months.
Although Keat struggled with injuries, he admits that he is not surprised that he is moving on from a team that he says will always have a place in his heart.
“I’m not surprised really, it’s something that I think that I’m ready to go to a place where I can play, that was a move that I was going to try and make anyway,” Keat told the LA Galaxy Insider shortly after the season had ended. It’s been a great couple of years here and I really appreciate everything that the Galaxy have done for me. It’s bittersweet really, I’m at an age where I need to move on and play, but this place will always have a place in my heart.”
Whether Keat remains in MLS remains a question mark as the third overall selection in the 2011 MLS Supplemental Draft has made just six appearances over his two year career in the league. Perhaps the best option for Keat could be a switch to the A-League, which would place him closer to his New Zealand national team head coach.
“We’ll see what works out, I think more than likely abroad, but it’s one of those things, you just see what opportunities come up,” said I think success is the intersection between opportunity and hard work so if you can take that and run with it and see what happens.”
As the young midfielder searches for a new club though, reaching the 2014 World Cup with New Zealand is most important.
“ I think that I’ve done alright for them recently. It’s been kind of a savior for me because I wasn’t going to get a chance to play and I knew that games were coming up so it gave me target points to aim for which helped out a lot,” said Keat. “I need to be playing at a club regularly so I can get starts for the national team and help us push towards the world cup in 2014.”
With Keat gone, the LA Galaxy have five of their seven international spots (Juninho, Marcelo Sarvas, Robbie Keane, Leonardo, and Carlo Cudicini) in use as preseason begins on Monday. LA traded away their eight available spot to Chivas USA ahead of the Stage Two of the 2012 MLS Re-Entry Draft.
