Houston Dynamo sign midfielder Tommy McNamara

The Houston Dynamo have signed midfielder Tommy McNamara, the club announced today. Houston selected McNamara in the second stage of the MLS Re-Entry Draft on Dec. 18, giving the club the exclusive right to negotiate contract terms with him for the 2019 season.

McNamara, 27, has made 92 career appearances in MLS regular-season play and has started 72 matches. After starting in six matches for Chivas USA as a rookie, McNamara joined New York City FC in the 2014 MLS Expansion Draft and has spent the last four seasons in the Bronx. McNamara recorded 13 goals and 12 assists for NYCFC.

“Tommy joins our club in the prime of his career with a strong desire to contribute to the success of the Houston Dynamo,” said Dynamo Senior Vice President and General Manager Matt Jordan. “His strong mentality, high soccer IQ, and ability to play a variety of positions in the attacking third will strengthen our group as we prepare for a busy 2019.”

The West Nyack, New York native helped NYCFC advance to the postseason in each of the last three seasons, finishing in the top three of the Eastern Conference standings in each season. He enjoyed his most productive season in 2016 when he set career highs in appearances (30), starts (28), minutes (2,229) and assists (nine) and tied a career-high with five goals.

“I had the opportunity to select Tommy in the draft in 2014 because he was a very smart and talented player,” said Dynamo Head Coach Wilmer Cabrera. “He is even more mature now and we believe he can make a positive impact with the Dynamo. We also think his professionalism and dedication will be a great addition to our locker room.”

As the head coach of Chivas USA in 2014, Cabrera selected McNamara with the 20th overall pick in the 2014 MLS SuperDraft. McNamara started his collegiate career at Brown University and earned a bachelor’s in economics from the Ivy League institution before transferring to Clemson to obtain his master’s degree. In his lone season with the Tigers, he led the team with seven goals and had eight assists, earning first-team All-ACC and NSCAA All-South honors.

With the addition of McNamara, the Dynamo now have 24 players under contract for the 2019 season.

TRANSACTION: The Houston Dynamo sign midfielder Tommy McNamara.

PLAYER PROFILE

FULL NAME: Thomas Liam McNamara
DATE OF BIRTH: February 6, 1991 (27 years old)
HEIGHT: 5’9”
WEIGHT: 170
BIRTHPLACE: West Nyack, New York
HOMETOWN: West Nyack, New York
PREVIOUS CLUB: New York City FC (MLS)
FIFA NATIONALITY: United States

HOUSTON DYNAMO PLAYERS CURRENTLY UNDER CONTRACT