Claudio Reyna will lead New York City team FC

From left, Claudio Reyna, MLS Commissioner Don Garber, Manchester City CEO Ferran Soriano, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, New York Yankees general manager Hal Steinbrenner and president Randy Levine. Picture: AP

City, in partnership with baseball giants the New York Yankees, announced on Tuesday they had bought a franchise to compete in Major League Soccer from 2015.

The club have wasted little time in beginning work to build the new entity by bringing in Reyna, who had a spell with City as a player between 2003 and 2007, and also had stints at Rangers and Sunderland.

Reyna was surprisingly unveiled as New York City’s first employee at a press event to formally announce the club’s launch at the Lexington Academy in Manhattan.

City chief executive Ferran Soriano said: “Finding the right person for this role and getting him in place from the start was a priority. The football culture of New York City FC will be built from this decision, and we believe Claudio is the man who uniquely understands what New York soccer should mean, and how it can benefit from the relationship with Manchester City.”

Reyna, 39, played for City for four of the 12 years he spent in Europe during his career, from 2003-07, making 87 appearances.

He also won 111 caps for the US and played at four World Cups, captaining the national side between 2002 and 2006.

He joined Rangers from Bayer Leverkusen in 1999 and left in 2001, having scored ten goals.

Reyna is leaving his role as youth technical director with US Soccer to take up the position.

Reyna said: “Having had the privilege of playing both for my country here in the US and for Manchester City, I could not have hoped for a more tailor-made opportunity in soccer.

“I am incredibly excited to again wear City’s sky blue as part of the expansion of the MLS and the growth of soccer in the United States, and am honoured to have been offered this opportunity. With a large fanbase through the New York area, prime television rights and distribution, sponsorship commitments, and the Yankees as a US partner, the New York City Football Club has everything in place to succeed.”

City are to be the majority partner in the new club with the Yankees bringing their considerable commercial clout and knowledge of New York.

Reyna will now begin the process of building a squad in time for the 2015 season.

New York City will begin their competitive life in a temporary home as they make plans to build their own stadium.