Red Bull New York has a long history of incredible players who have shaped the club’s culture and perception.
In terms of signings, New York has been able to attract many marquee names to Sports Illustrated Stadium, formerly known as Red Bull Arena. The club, for example, has brought in names like Eric Choupo-Moting and Emil Forsberg in recent years. Of course, the signing of former Arsenal forward Thierry Henry in 2010 will always be the biggest signing in the club’s history in terms of name recognition.
However, Red Bull great Bradley Wright-Phillips may just be the best signing the club has ever made. What I’m about to list off is simply remarkable.
Wright-Phillips won three MLS Supporters’ Shields, was the league’s Golden Boot winner twice, and was selected to the MLS Best XI twice. Let’s not forget to mention where he ranks all-time in MLS in terms of career goals. Wright-Phillips is in the top-10 overall in career MLS goals with 117.
As a result of his fantastic performances on the pitch and his contributions to New York, Wright-Phillips will be inducted into Legends Row on May 2. It’s an amazing honor for him as he will be joining club legend Luis Robles, who was the first inductee of it.
In order to truly understand this special occasion, let me explain just how important a player Wright-Phillips was to young supporters growing up in the 2010s.
I understand the impact Henry had not just with the club, but with the league itself. Henry was a global icon, especially when he was dominating in the Premier League with Arsenal. As a young supporter of New York, though, I resonated with Wright-Phillips more.
Maybe it was because I was impressed with his goal-scoring production in 2014. Maybe it was because I was also an undersized soccer player, and seeing a player like him dominating MLS gave me the confidence to prove others wrong.
I loved watching Wright-Phillips and those 2010s New York squads growing up, and they are a big reason why I love the league. Those appointment viewings on MSG were always a highlight of my summers, and it was partly because of a scorer like Wright-Phillips.
For a league that was still growing in popularity at the time, Wright-Phillips was a star they could advertise. He was a reason why people were interested in coming to matches.
The striker is still a massive representative of the club as well. Recently, he was on-site when the club unveiled its new Performance Center last Wednesday.
Now with Apple TV’s coverage of the MLS, Wright-Phillips is one of the main analysts for the service and praises the Red Bulls whenever he can. Entering the 2026 season, Wright-Phillips said New York’s Jorge Ruvalcaba would be the MLS’s Newcomer of the Year. He also predicted that New York would finish fourth in the Eastern Conference.
Currently, former Red Bulls Sacha Kljestan and Dax McCarty are also with Wright-Phillips on Apple TV’s coverage of the league. Who knows when they could be included in Legends Row?
For now, Wright-Phillips’ induction is more than just stats. It’s about an impact that touched multiple communities and created fans of him and the team. His induction is an incredible honor and shows that signing him was one of the best decisions the club has ever made.
