New England Soccer Today

Jones Hasn’t Ruled Out Return to Revs

Photo credit: Kari Heistad/capturedimages.biz

Photo credit: Kari Heistad/capturedimages.biz

Out-of-contract midfielder Jermaine Jones isn’t worried about where he’ll play his club soccer this year. In fact, he appears quite content to wait and see how things will play themselves out – even if he ends up wearing a Revolution kit once again.

In an interview with MLSSoccer.com on Friday, the former Revolution designated player said that his attention is currently aimed on helping the U.S. Men’s National Team, but that he hasn’t ruled a return to New England.

“Right now, I don’t really make my head crazy about (where I’ll play this year),” Jones said this week while training with the U.S. at the StubHub Center in Carson, Calif. “I try to be focused here with the national team, but, of course, I always say I would be happy to go back to New England or find another MLS team who value my quality.”

Jones, whose 18-month, $4.7 million deal with the Revolution expired last month, spent much of the past year trying to work out an extension that would keep him in New England.

But after the sides reached an apparent impasse, Jones said via Twitter that the Revolution had only offered him 20 percent of his 2015 salary, or roughly, $640,000, for the 2016 season.

Jones was one of the primary catalysts behind the Revolution’s run to the MLS Cup final in 2014, scoring two goals and adding four assists down the stretch to help the squad go 9-1-1 down the stretch.

The following season, however, brought a stark contrast to the success seen by both Jones and the Revolution. The midfielder went under the knife twice for separate sports hernia surgeries, and missed a combined 13 games as a result. The Revolution, for their part, finished in fifth-place, and watched their playoff hopes crash and burn in the knockout round.

Although 2015 wasn’t the kind of season Jones envisioned having, he said he’d like to remain in New England, which boasts a young and talented attacking corps.

“I will say what I said before: I’m really happy to go back to New England, or play for another team in MLS,” Jones said. “But that, of course, only with the kind of respect and value [owed to me], that we find the right decision, the right contracts.”

Should Jones stay in MLS, he will have to serve a six-game suspension for making contact with referee Mark Geiger during the Revolution’s 2-1 knockout round loss to DC in October. But he said that development won’t steer away from staying Stateside.

“I’m open for everything,” Jones said. “But right now, it’s still too fresh. The league is not starting here in MLS (until March), then I have the six-game suspension, so I have to sit down a little bit and wait.”

While Jones waits, he’s happy to be in camp with the National Team, which will play a pair of friendlies on Jan. 31 vs. Iceland and Feb. 5 vs. Canada. And training close by to his family in Los Angeles doesn’t hurt, either.

“I think I have a lot to offer for teams, especially (in) MLS and New England. I showed it already, but I will wait,” Jones said. “Now is not the time to get crazy or something. I’m focused here with the national team, and we’ll see what comes.”

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