Q&a With Khiry Shelton

NYCFC_Dan

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Just got the questions back from Khiry. Really thankful for the time he took to answer all of them. If you don't yet, give him a follow on Twitter as well.


Hey Khiry,

Thanks again for taking the time out to do this! I can only imagine how fast everything has happened for you since being drafted. We are thrilled to have you on the squad and look forward to finally seeing you play!


Q: Speaking of the draft some of our members had the following questions.

[Falastur] What does it feel like to be selected as one of the very first picks in the draft out of a field of hundreds, and out of thousands more who didn't even make the Combine?

A: It’s a blessing and I am so thankful for the opportunity to represent this club, my family, and everyone else who has helped me along my journey.



Q: [LostAnvil] Saw some great pictures of you with the Third Rail after the SuperDraft! What prompted you to end up at the bar and did you have a good time?

A: Oh well I was asked to go to the bar to meet some of the fans that traveled all that way to see me get drafted so I thought I’d pay my respect and go and introduce myself but also to meet them. They made me feel like a King J



Q: Your NYCFC career started that day at the draft but how about your playing career? What got you interested in football and at what point did it become something you wanted to do professionally?

A: My parents put me in soccer when I was 4 years old so I can thank them for that. I fell in love with the game right away and the more time I spent with the ball the more and more I wanted to become better. I believe at the age of 8 I knew that I wanted to play professionally so I told my parents and only played soccer growing up.



Q: [CTNYCFC] What professional soccer club(s) did you root for growing up?

A: Still till this day I root for Arsenal but I use to love watching Barcelona, Inter Milan, and Ac Milan.



Q: [Ahab Flanders]

How would you describe your style of play? What players would you compare yourself to or look to for inspiration?

A: I have a very unique style of play and I am very versatile as well. Crafty player who can keep the ball but also love scoring goals. A player like Henry is someone I try to mimic when it comes to the style of play but my favorite player of all time is Ronaldinho.



Q: [Espovino] Who is the player that you try to model your game after?

A: Thierry Henry, the guy is a legend and one of the top strikers to play of all time.



Q: [Tsubasa] Who's your greatest hero personally? And why?

A: I don’t necessarily have one but I have my parents and my siblings. My family has given up so much of their time and lives for me to be able to live my dream. They have pushed me even when I didn’t want to continue on and they made sure I had a roof over my head and food for me to eat even if their wasn’t food for them after. They are my hero’s and I am forever in debt to them.



Q:[Snoolg] Welcome to NYC, Khiry. Which MLS team did you follow as a teen?

A: I followed New England Revolution and LA Galaxy.



Q:[BxL] Sup Khiry, congrats on being NYCFC's first ever draft pick AND scoring NYCFC's FIRST EVER goal against another team. From "supervising" you guys's social media accounts, you all seem to be getting along really well.

A: Thank you very much and it was a team effort that got me the goal. Oh yes we have bonded really well as a team and know that each bond will continue to grow stronger and stronger over time. I’m excited I get to work with such great people but also tremendous players.



Q: Who was your camp BFF?

A: I didn’t have one



Q: Which two players are inseparable and who's the team clown?

A: Two players that are inseparable are Chris Wingert and Ned Grabavoy, they really have something special going on. The team clown would definitely be Jeb Brovsky, this guy is hilarious and I luckily got to room with him and I swear there was constant laughter.



Q:Also how insane is it to have played with David Villa in video games and to be now his teammate?

A: Yeah, its quite interesting but awesome. The guy is very talented but a very good person and someone I look up to especially when playing in the attack with him.



Q: Best of luck! You'll forever be part of NYCFC history. We're all rooting for you. Oh and what squad number will you pick??!!!

A: Thank you very much. I believe I am going to be wearing #19.



Q:[Sbrylski] I'm interested in tactics. What formation do you like playing in most? What have you learned so far from Kreis about his system, and how well do you think it fits your game?

A: Well there is no specific formation I like to play but one I prefer is 4-3-3. I have learned quite a bit from Coach Kreis, he is very passionate and will be a great mentor for me. I have a lot to learn and I also need to develop but I believe when I am able to get a grasp of what he wants then the whole team will be a hard team to beat.



Q:[ElliteFC] What do you anticipate will be the biggest challenge for both you and the team in this first season?

A: At this point in time I cannot tell you about any challenges I think I’ll face and won’t know until they come and I don’t see us having any challenges other than this is a new team and no one really knows one another’s playing style but that will come with time.



Q:[Kun] What are your biggest strengths and weaknesses?

Who are you most looking forward to playing alongside/against in MLS?

A: My strengths are that I am fast, crafty, quite technical and am a good finisher. Weaknesses are that I still am immature in my movements are an attacking player and that I still have a lot of developing to do but that also comes with time.



Q:[KnitterSupremo] Hi Khiry,

Welcome to New York! Who are your 3 favorite footballers? If you could travel anywhere in the world where would you like to go? What is your favorite meal?

A: Thank you very much. My top 3 favorite footballers would have to be Ronaldinho, Thierry Henry, and ZlatanIbrahimovic. If I could travel anywhere in the world the place I would go would be Fiji. I don’t have a favorite meal I just love food and will eat about anything that is put in front of me.



Q: [Ryan Kost] Hi Khiry, what has been your inspiration to keep working hard and pushing yourself? What is your favorite European soccer club?

A: Well first and foremost my family then myself. I love this game and is a place where I can be myself and have fun. Favorite European soccer club would be Arsenal.



Q: [Sabo] Whats the biggest adjustment you have to make going from a college level of play to the MLS level of play?

A: The level of play is faster and the players are physically strong but I have had so much fun so far and can’t wait to see what else in in store.



Q:[Cardinal] What's your favorite soccer related memory?

How excited are you to eventually be in FIFA?

A: It would have to my first and last playoff game of my college career at Oregon State University. I helped set up the one and only goal of that game to help my team get into playoffs for the first time in over a decade.

It still has not hit me yet.



Q:[kubah] What are your personal/professional goals for Year 1 with NYCFC?

Any expectations on starting time and goal totals?

A: My goals for my first year is to just come in with the right attitude and work hard. I have no expectations except to push myself and teammates to be the best people and players and to represent this club with fashion.



Q: [Nicholas] What is your favorite way that fans show their support?

A: Showing up would be the main one but if you are a die hard fan then body paint, flags, banners, etc. Only do those things if you are allowed to and have permission from the rents or of the age where decisions can be made on your own.



Q: [KjBert] What formation are you best in?

Is there thought that you could play out wide or do you believe you will play up top exclusively?

Have you noticed the superb hair dos on the team?

A: The formation doesn’t necessarily matter and I think I will actually be able to play both positions this year, wherever Coach Kreis puts me is where I’ll play. Everyone has lovely hair :p



Q: [CP] From a player point of view , what are some things fans should or should not do?

A: First and foremost cheer loud and just be there to support the team but just be respectful to the players and don’t use racial slurs or anything that can harm or offend any human being.



Q: [Roxfontaine] What music is heavy on your playlist these days?

A: I have several genres of music in my playlist. Genres such as hip-hop, reggae, alternative. I am a music lover and have tons of music so I listen to almost about everything.



Q: [Josh] After her good performance. Matt Dunn jokingly (lets all hope) said on twitter that his celeb crush is Katy Perry.

Who is your celebrity crush? and why?

A: Yes he did and I remember the tweet. I would have to say I have a few celebrity crushes but top three would be Angelina Jolie, Rachel McAdams, and Crystal Reed. All of them are great actresses but they also are beautiful women who seem to have a good head on their shoulders which is also very attractive.



Q; How do you plan on celebrating your first MLS Goal? Keeping it a secret?
A: I’m sorry, you will just have to watch :p

Anything else you'd like to add?

Just want to say I am excited to start playing in front of all the NYCFC fans and can’t wait to meet them. It’s going to be a great year! Thank you everyone for the questions had tons of laughs.



Thanks,

Khiry Shelton
 
Very cool. Thanks for doing these interviews, as they're exactly the kind of content I look forward to in a pre-season, and even more so for our new team.

I'll be donating to the forums to keep content like this coming, if possible.
 
Awesome? K19 seems to be living his dream. That's gotta be special. I feel like a fat kid eating cake. I always can't wait for the next interview.
 
Fucking Awesome nickname - K19: The Widowmaker

One of you graphically talented people - make a picture of this - hopefully enough people have seen the movie to know what I'm talking about.
It's what I thought of. @Drainyoo or anyone else good at graphic design, it would be nice to create picture series with players with their numbers and their nicknames with something related to it.
 
I like how humble and down-to-earth Khiry's answers were. He is living his dream but he aint messed up by it yet. :)

Also great to hear about his strong bond and support from his family to go all the way. This upbringing is what sets his tone. This is the true spirit, loyalty and dedication running through his blood!