Ask not what this newcomer can do for SKC, he says, but also what SKC can do for him

Nicolas Isimat-Mirin comes to Kansas City with three Dutch league titles, two Johan Cruyff Shield titles and a handful of Champions League appearances against Europe’s top clubs under his belt.

Sporting Kansas City’s new 29-year-old French center-back is undoubtedly one of the most experienced players on the team when it comes to top-level global competition.

But when asked on Monday about what he brings to the club, Isimat-Mirin replied with a question of his own — a question that hinted at his potential.

“I think the question is more what can Kansas City bring me?” he said.

Despite bumping shoulders with the likes of Antoine Griezzman and Robert Lewandowski throughout his career, the new challenge of playing Major League Soccer brought him to America.

“It’s never too late to learn, to upgrade,” he said.

Isimat-Mirin was signed by Sporting KC in February on a free transfer from Turkish team Besiktas. The Frenchman failed to make an impact in Turkey and was sent on loan to France’s Toulouse before his contract was terminated. Kansas City acquired him days later.

Much of his success came with PSV Eindhoven of the Netherlands. He was an integral part of a PSV defense that won three league titles, in 2015, 2016 and 2018.

And now he sees MLS as the next big step in his career.

The league was always on his radar, as it is with many European players nowadays. As MLS has continued to grow and big names have continued to flock to MLS, Isimat-Mirin couldn’t help but take notice.

Former PSV teammate and FC Cincinnati player Siem de Jong convinced him MLS would be the right move.

“(De Jong) spoke to me very well about the league,” Isimat-Mirin said. “He said the way of training, that I can see just a few days ago, you run a lot and you try to perform. They are very focused on the structure of everything, and it’s exactly what I like.”

He was also drawn to KC after discussing a potential trade with coach Peter Vermes and director of player personnel Brian Bliss.

“It was more about the project (of team-building with Sporting), and I was interested to see this country first and the project and the quality and spirit of this team,” Isimat-Mirin said. “The DNA of this club is very good. I’m going to do my best to be a part of the successful project.”

Isimat-Mirin finally joined the team last week after being held up in France with visa issues. By the time he arrived in the U.S. and underwent his 10-day quarantine period, the club was already several weeks into its preseason in Arizona.

“It’s very easy to see from a short period of time that he’s an ultimate professional, the way he goes about everything,” Vermes said. “On and off the field, just a constant professional and has a very needed skillset in our team in his position.”

Defensively, Isimat-Mirin brings athleticism and ability to cover ground quickly. He’s also demonstrated high-level spatial awareness in his first couple of practices, as well as an ability to pick up tactics quickly.

The big challenge for Vermes and his staff will be getting him fully fit before the start of the season. The Frenchman hasn’t played in a competitive game since before the turn of the year, mainly exercising by himself and cycling.

The Sporting KC coaching staff is wary of fatigue. The first couple of days left Isimat-Mirin feeling sore.

“Our objective is to try to build him up, but we’re not going to do it for the sake of just that game (season opener),” Vermes said. “We’ve got 34 games we have to play, so we’re just going to have to be very intelligent and I feel that we have other guys that are capable of playing that position well.”

This story was originally published March 29, 2021 at 5:57 PM with the headline "Ask not what this newcomer can do for SKC, he says, but also what SKC can do for him."