Red Bull New York head coach Michael Bradley always knew that Jahkeele Marshall-Rutty’s growth potential would eventually pay off in a big way.
During his spell as the longest-serving captain of Toronto FC, Bradley witnessed Marshall-Rutty’s rise from promising youth academy talent to becoming the youngest ever player to sign a professional contract with the club at age 15, to making his MLS debut for the Reds at age 16.
Red Bulls Reaping the Rewards of Marshall-Rutty’s Impact
In the early months of Bradley’s reign as Red Bull New York head coach, he has leaned on Marshall-Rutty, a mature 21-year-old who offers versatility and dependability on either side of the pitch as a wing-back or wide midfielder.
“I know Jahkeele well, and I know firsthand what he brings to a group,” Bradley said recently. “We’re really excited to have him here. We’re going to continue to push him along in good ways. I think he’s had a strong start to the season, and when you think about what we are trying to build here, Jahkeele is certainly a young player who is going to play a big part.
“He had a good season in Charlotte last year. They used him, both at right back and left back, and that was a big part of why, when the opportunity came for us to bring him here, we felt like it made a lot of sense. He’s versatile. He has football. He has really the starting point of a really good physical and athletic profile.”
Marshall-Rutty was acquired by the Red Bulls on February 9 from CF Montréal in a trade that sent Venezuelan attacker Wiki Carmona north of the border.
He was acquired by the Red Bulls not only because of his impressive physical traits, but also, of equal importance, the character traits that Bradley wishes to instill within his squad.
“Jahkeele has come in and established himself in a really good way in the group,” Bradley said. “He is a great young man. He has such a good personality, and I think he has really enjoyed the other young players and the other personalities that we have in our group.”
Bradley and Red Bull New York head of sport Julian de Guzman recognized that there was more to come from Marshall-Rutty after a period where he struggled to display his best football at CF Montréal and was subjected to vile racial abuse from a small segment of social media commenters.
“After a difficult period in Montréal, I think you look at him every day, and you see his energy, and you see his face and his body language, and he is really, really excited,” Bradley stated. “Football-wise, he has continued to grow and develop in good ways.”
National Team Recognition Follows Marshall-Rutty’s Strong Start
Marshall-Rutty has responded to critics and doubters by producing quite possibly the best form of his career. This led to a call-up to the Canadian national team’s March training camp ahead of pre-World Cup friendlies against Iceland on March 28 and Tunisia on March 31.
De Guzman and Bradley are being rewarded for seeing the potential within Marshall-Rutty and creating an environment where he could thrive.
“He is an exciting young player that brings a strong mentality and a willingness to work, and we believe this is a great spot for him to continue developing and taking the next step in his career,” de Guzman said in February.
So far, Marshall-Rutty has made a considerable impact in helping the Red Bulls get off to a fourth-place start in the Eastern Conference standings after the club missed the playoffs last season.
New York enters this weekend’s action even on points (seven points through four matches) with 2025 MLS Cup winners Inter Miami. Should the Red Bulls pull off a victory away to FC Charlotte on Saturday, they will own a record of three wins, one loss and one draw, which would represent encouraging progress in the young 2026 season.
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