As a teenager, Tyler Boyd remembers going to watch the Galaxy as the club visited New Zealand for a friendly.
On Monday, Boyd was officially announced as a member of the Galaxy, signing a one-year deal through the 2023 season.
“I used to support the Galaxy growing up as a kid,” he said Tuesday. “Me and my dad used to come to the games here. I’m over the moon to be here, I can call it home. This was my favorite club growing up, biggest club in the league … I’m ready to represent this shirt.”
Boyd, 28, was born in New Zealand and moved to Santa Ynez early before returning.
“They played in Wellington, I think (David) Beckham was on the team, we actually traveled down to Wellington to watch the game,” he said. “I think I was 13 at the time.”
Boyd’s soccer professional career started in the Australian League before he made the move in 2015 to Europe, first in Portugal with Vitoria de Guimares. In 2019, he moved to Besiktas in Turkey. He joined the Galaxy earlier this month, but due to a paperwork issue, wasn’t officially added until this week.
Boyd, whose mother is American, made his U.S. national team debut in 2019.
“They’ve made me feel really welcomed since day one,” he said. “Great group of guys, from coaches to the staff to the players, I’m really excited to be here and be a part of the group and I’m just grateful for them to make me feel welcomed.”
As for the delay, all Boyd said there is a case ongoing between him and his old club Besiktas.
“I don’t want to talk any negativity or bad about anyone,” he said. “There was a process of getting the right paperwork so I could sign here, but I’m super happy.”
Boyd has played in the Galaxy’s most recent preseason games. He scored in his unofficial debut Feb. 12. He adds some much-needed depth on the wings, an area in which the Galaxy took a big hit this offseason with the departures of Kevin Cabral (traded to Colorado) and Samuel Grandsir (returned to…
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