Lukas Engel speaks Teesside Live about his transfer from Middlesbrough to FC Cincinnati.
Lukas Engel says he regretfully asked to leave Middlesbrough last month after seeking assurances about his playing opportunities in the second half of the season.
Engel finalised a loan move to FC Cincinnati last month that will remain until the end of the calendar year. Boro’s deal with the MLS team includes an option to make the move permanent for the left-back, who spent 18 months on Teesside.
In an exclusive interview with Teesside Live, Engel confesses that his time at Boro was fraught with ups and downs, but he remains enthusiastic about playing for the club.
After undergoing hernia surgery last summer, Engel said he probably shouldn’t have played the first few games of the season before being removed from the firing line with Neto Borges’ arrival.
He resumed training around Christmas and made his comeback on Boxing Day in a tie with Sheffield Wednesday. However, after receiving assurances about his playing time in the second part of the season, Engel confessed he felt compelled to seek possibilities elsewhere.
The Dane told Teesside Live: “I had been out injured for quite some time. As I returned, I was completely honest with Middlesbrough. I am 26 years old and need to play games. I just enquired how things were going for me. To be perfectly honest, my initial thought and priority was to be in Middlesbrough.
“At the same time, I wanted to play games, which they couldn’t guarantee. So I began to search for other opportunities where I may potentially receive more game time than Middlesbrough could provide me. When Middlesbrough chose to let me go, it was easy to choose Cincinnati. It was not an easy decision to leave, however.
“I adored my time at Middlesbrough. I am delighted to have represented the club and appreciative to everyone for the opportunity they provided. I clearly wish things had turned out differently so that I could have truly established myself on the team. But I wish nothing but the best for the club and will keep a close eye on them for the rest of the season in the hopes that they can get over the finish line.”
Cincinnati was hardly the only team to express interest in Engel last month. However, the Ohio club’s interest was not their first effort to sign the left-back. That aspect, together with the argument they made to Engel, eventually persuaded him to go to the United States.
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