On Monday, Seattle Sounders FC traded Lamar Neagle to D.C. United. Neagle, a 27-year-old midfielder from Federal Way, Wash., appeared in 93 regular season games with the Rave Green across three stints with the club. Seattle picked up general allocation money and targeted allocation money (TAM) in the trade.
Neagle released his farewell to his hometown fans on Monday afternoon via his website. The letter, in its entiety, can be read below.
As a kid in Federal Way I grew up rooting for all the local teams. The Seahawks, the Mariners and my Dad even had season tickets to the Sonics. I had the opportunity to be a ballboy for the Sounders at Memorial Stadium, something I will never forget. Playing professionally for your home team is something most people never get to do, it’s very special. I have had the amazing opportunity to live out every kids dream!
I want to thank the Seattle Sounders fans for their unwavering support; you guys have made it easy to play for this club, both on and off the field. The continuous positivity from the fans through the ups and downs is what kept me striving forward.
I also want to thank my teammates. It has been an honor and privilege playing alongside you all.
The Sounders organization is one of the best in the league. I have grown close to many people over the years and I am grateful for their friendship. Their commitment to supporting the community helped drive me to do the same.
I want to thank Adrian Hanauer for his support of Neagle Foundation and the rest of the Sounders organization for making it easy to become a positive influence.
Taylor Graham and Roger Levesque. You guys lead the way for me to become a positive advocate for my community. Thank you.
The support for my foundation has been astounding. Thank you to everyone who has helped me with Neagle Foundation. Your time, commitment and compassion has meant the world to me. I would like to send a special thanks to the team at Sonarfeed for their annual FIFA tournament. The Neagle Foundation wouldn’t be what it is today without you guys.
I can’t thank my manager Rich Martin enough. He has been with me from the start and I appreciate everything he has done to help support me and the foundation.
I want to thank my family; I wouldn’t be in this position without them. Although I know they are sad that I am leaving, they are equally as excited for me to be heading into a great opportunity, a move that they know is the best for my career. A special thank you to my wife, I know it can’t be easy to be uprooted from her family, friends and a job she loves but she is as excited as I am for this new adventure in our Nation’s capital!
I would have never imagined living in our nation’s capital. DC United has such a rich history, winning championships from the emergence of the league. I can’t wait to see what I can help add to that history. I want to thank DC United for their faith in me and hope I can continue to grow as a community advocate. I will continue to live my dream in DC.
Thank you Seattle, DC here I come!
