Villa leaves NYCFC after 4 seasons
Spanish striker David Villa will leave New York City FC at the end of his contract in December, the MLS side announced Wednesday, bringing an end to a four-year spell in The Big Apple.
ESPN's Dermot Corrigan reports Villa will move to Japan in 2019.
Villa arrived in 2014 from Atletico Madrid as NYCFC's first-ever signing. He went on to score 80 goals in 124 league appearances and won the MLS MVP award in 2016.
"My experience here was amazing," Villa told NYCFC's official website. "It gave me everything as a soccer player, as a person, and as a family man. I'll always remember this experience with love. My heart is here and I'm an NYCFC supporter forever."
Villa scored the expansion franchise's first goal at Yankee Stadium in a 2-0 victory over the New England Revolution in March 2015. But his best season came in 2016, when he racked up 23 goals en route to a first-ever postseason berth.
The following year, Villa scored a memorable hat-trick in a wild 3-2 win over crosstown rivals New York Red Bulls and earned a well-deserved recall to the Spanish national team.
"David has been an incredible ambassador and captain to this club since the moment we signed him," sporting director Claudio Reyna said. "His professionalism and leadership helped us through the challenges that a new team faces when they come into the league. He's represented New York City FC tremendously both on and off the pitch and has been a real leader for this football club."