He's worn the colors of D.C. United and the Colorado Rapids in the seven years since last playing for the New York-based Major League Soccer club. But Mike Petke has always left a part of himself with his hometown team.
And while he might not be the same brash kid from Bohemia on Long Island with the dyed blonde hair he was in his first stint with the club, the 32-year-old Petke said he hasn't necessarily mellowed in his old age.
"Coming back here and getting ready for the preseason, I felt that spark in me again and that desire," he said in a conference call Wednesday. "It's great. I'm looking forward to getting my bite back, kissing the soccer ball and handing it back to the ref, getting a couple of yellow cards."
Petke, who is the Red Bulls all-time leader in games played (134) and games started (129), was picked up off waivers on Nov. 26 and signed a three-year contract with the Red Bulls on Wednesday.
Petke will likely fill the void left by Jeff Parke, who was second in all-time appearances and selected by Seattle Sounders FC in the expansion draft.
"We are pleased to bring Mike back to New York, the place where he grew up and began his professional career," Red Bull New York sporting director Jeff Agoos said in a statement. "He is a proven commodity and will help solidify our back line. Mike will bring a veteran presence, leadership, and toughness that can only help the club. We are looking forward to his contributions during the 2009 season."
Petke was selected eighth overall in the 1998 College Draft and helped lead the MetroStars to the 2000 Eastern Division title. The fan-favorite was traded to rival D.C. United on Dec. 23, 2002 along with the fifth overall pick in the 2003 MLS SuperDraft and an allocation for defender Eddie Pope, forward Jaime Moreno and midfielder and current Red Bulls assistant coach Richie Williams.
While Petke spent three productive years in D.C., winning the MLS Cup in 2004, he said it broke his heart to be traded from New York.
"Leaving New York, I lost a little bit of the edge at first," he said. "I was very comfortable in New York. It was where I was from, my people [...] Going to D.C. it took a while to get that passion back because it was like I was a rookie again in a way. I was very upset, to be honest with you, when I first left New York."
Petke was traded to Colorado on May 23, 2005 for midfielder Chris Henderson. In 2008, Petke missed time after early-season foot surgery, but made 11 appearances and 10 starts while scoring two goals. One of those goals came against the Red Bulls in a 5-4 Rapids win on Sept. 27 at Giants Stadium.
"Without getting into detail too much, I was not very happy in Colorado," Petke said. "I played a lot of games for them, played my heart out. For many reasons I was not very happy there at all."
But now that he's back home, back playing for a team that reached the MLS Cup Final a year ago, Petke couldn't be any happier.
"It is something since 2002 when I left I've always thought about and always looked forward to, hopefully coming back," Petke said. "My family and I are very excited. Watching the way the Red Bulls finished last season, I'm dying to jump in there and get involved with the team and hopefully we can take it one step forward this year."
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