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Who Are the Best New England Revolution Soccer Players of All Time?

The New England Revolution is an MLS team that has played since 1996. The soccer team won the US Open Cup in 2007 and the Supporters’ Shield in 2021. As the club is one of the oldest in Major League Soccer, who are some of the greatest players to represent the Revolution and what have they done with the team?

Top 10 Best New England Revolution Players of All Time

Taylor Twellman
Carles Gil
Shalrie Joseph
Jay Heaps
Steve Ralston
Matt Reis
Clint Dempsey
Diego Fagúndez
Teal Bunbury
Andrew Farrell

1. Taylor Twellman

2005 MLS MVP
Two-time MLS Top Goal Scorer
Most goals in Revolution history (112)

Taylor Twellman was the second overall pick in the 2002 MLS Draft by the New England Revolution. Twellman won an MVP Award while with the club and is also the team’s top goal scorer in history. The center forward burst onto the scene with 23 goals in his first season with the club. Twellman led the league with 15 goals in 2003 and did it for a second time with 17 goals in 2005. The forward won the MVP award that season as New England lost in the final of the MLS Cup.

Twellman once again had 20 goal contributions in the 2007 season as the Revolution won the US Open Cup. Injuries led to the forward retiring after the 2009 season after eight seasons with the club. Twellman finished his career with 112 goals across all competitions for New England, which is the most in club history.

2. Carles Gil

2021 MLS MVP
2021 Supporters’ Shield Winner
Second, most assists in Revolution history (45)

Carles Gil came up through the Valencia academy and played in La Liga and the Premier League before joining New England in 2019 at 26 years old. Gil has an MVP award to his name and has been instrumental to the Revolution over his five seasons with the team. The attacking midfielder scored a career-best ten goals and 12 assists in his first season with New England in 2019. He added another 15 goal contributions in 2021 and took home the MLS MVP. Gil also helped New England win the Supporters’ Shield in 2021.

In the following year, the midfielder had seven goals and nine assists and currently has nine goal contributions in the ongoing 2023 season. Gil has 32 goals and 45 assists in his time with the club. The midfielder has the second-most assists in New England’s history.

3. Shalrie Joseph

Second most games in Revolution history (293)
Most bookings in Revolution history (68)
Top ten in goals (41) and assists (29) in Revolution history

Shalrie Joseph was drafted in the second round of the 2002 MLS Draft by the New England Revolution out of St. John’s. Joseph played in ten seasons with the club and is among some of the best for the Revolution in many statistical categories. The defensive midfielder combined for five-goal contributions in his first two seasons with New England before breaking out in 2005. Joseph had six goals and five assists during that campaign. He followed that up with seven goals and three assists over the next two seasons.

Joseph’s best offensive season came in 2009 as he had a career-best eight goals and six assists. The midfielder had back-to-back eight-goal contribution seasons in 2010 and 2011. Joseph last played for New England in 2012. He finished his career with the club with 41 goals and 29 assists which rank ninth and seventh respectively in team history. Joseph’s 68 bookings are also the most in Revolution history and his 293 games played are the second most for the club.

4. Jay Heaps

2007 US Open Cup winner
Fourth most games in Revolution history (243)
Second most bookings in Revolution history (61)

Jay Heaps was taken second overall in the 1999 MLS Draft by the Miami Fusion. The midfielder played three seasons for the club before joining the Revolution during the 2001 campaign. Heaps won the US Open Cup with the club and was a nine-year starter for New England. Heaps had two assists in 15 games after joining the Revolution halfway through the season. Over the following three seasons, the midfielder had eleven total goal contributions. Heap’s 2005 campaign with New England saw his largest offensive production with the team where he had one goal and four assists.

The midfielder helped the team to win the 2007 US Open Cup. He led the MLS in minutes played in 2008 and last played for the Revolution in 2009 before retiring. Heap was a consistent starter for New England during his tenure as he started all but five games that he appeared in. His 243 games are the fourth most for a player in club history. His 61 total bookings are the second most by a player for New England. Heap finished with eleven goals and 16 assists for the club.

5. Steve Ralston

Most assists in Revolution history (61)
Fifth most goals in Revolution history (45)
2007 US Open Cup winner

Steve Ralston was drafted in the second round of the 1996 MLS Draft by the Tampa Bay Mutiny. The midfielder played six seasons with the club before joining the Revolution in 2002. Ralston is the assist leader for New England as he had 61 assists in 233 games for the team. 2002 was the midfielder’s most successful season with the club. He had five goals and 12 assists for the Revolution. The midfielder had eleven and ten goal contributions in the following two seasons respectively.

In 2007, Ralston helped New England win the US Open Cup while also having 15 goal contributions in MLS play. The midfielder had a career-best eight goals in 2008 and finished his playing career with the club in 2009 with eleven goal contributions. Ralston scored 45 goals and had 61 assists in 233 games across all competitions with the Revolution. He leads the club in assists and has the fifth most goals in team history.

6. Matt Reis

Most games by a goalie in Revolution history (287)
Most clean sheets in Revolution history (78)
2007 US Open Cup winner

Matt Reis was taken in the third round of the MLS Draft by the LA Galaxy. The goalie played five seasons for the club before transferring to the Revolution prior to the 2003 season. Reis has the most clean sheets and games played as a goalie in New England history. After playing in five games in his first season with the club, the goalie played in 24 games in 2004, the most games of his career in a single season up until that point. Starting in 2005, Reis had ten clean sheets in each of the next three seasons while leading New England to a top-five finish in the MLS. The goalie helped the team with the 2007 US Open Cup as well.

Reis had five seasons of ten or more wins with the club, and he hung up the cleats after the 2013 season. The goaltender played in 287 games across all competitions with the Revolution which is the most by any goalie in team history. His 78 clean sheets with the team are also the most in New England’s history.

7. Clint Dempsey

Half a goal contribution per game with the Revolution
26 goals with the Revolution
14 assists with the Revolution

Although he was well known for his accomplishments on the international level and later in his career, Clint Dempsey was drafted eighth overall in the 2004 MLS Draft by the New England Revolution. Dempsey played three seasons for the club, and he tallied 40 goal contributions during that time. At just 20 years old, the forward had seven goals during the 2004 campaign. Dempsey had ten goals and five assists the following season which was his best offensive season with New England. In 2006, the forward had eight goals and two assists.

Dempsey later played in the Premier League for seven years before returning to the MLS. He earned three Football Player of the Year Awards for the United States as well. In 80 games with the Revolution, Dempsey tallied 26 goals and 14 assists. Only three players in club history have a goal contribution per game ratio higher than Dempsey.

8. Diego Fagúndez

Third most goals in Revolution history (54)
Third most assists in Revolution history (42)
Fifth most games in Revolution history (278)

Diego Fagúndez signed as a free agent with New England and played his first game for the club at just 15 years old in 2011. The left winger is in the top three for both goals and assists in club history. Fagúndez scored two goals in each of his first two seasons with the Revolution before breaking out in 2013. The Uruguayan had 13 goals and five assists during the 2013 season. The winger had back-to-back years with nine-goal contributions over the next two seasons. Fagúndez then had double-digit goal contributions in each season between 2016 and 2018.

After two more campaigns with the club in a reserved role, the winger transferred to F.C. Austin where he still plays today. The winger played 278 games for New England and had 54 goals and 42 assists during his tenure. He is fifth in games, third in goals, and third in assists in Revolution history.

9. Teal Bunbury

Fourth most goals in Revolution history (53)
Ninth most assists in Revolution history (23)
2021 Supporters’ Shield winner

Teal Bunbury was selected fourth overall in the 2010 MLS Draft by the Kansas City Wizards. After four seasons with the club, the center forward joined the Revolution before the 2014 season. Bunbury is in the top ten for both goals and assists for New England, and he helped the team win the 2021 Supporters Shield. The forward had his largest assist total in a season after he joined New England as he had six assists in the MLS that year.

Bunbury was steadily productive over his first four seasons with the team and had 30 goal contributions over that span. He had 11 goals in 2018 which was by far the most of his career. Burnbury followed that up with two consecutive seasons of eight or more goal contributions for New England. The forward last played for the Revolution in 2021 after scoring three goals in 29 league games. Bunbury won the 2021 Supporters Shield that season with the club as well. His 53 goals and 23 assists rank fourth and ninth respectively in New England’s history.

10. Andrew Farrell

Most games in Revolution history (345)
2021 Supporters’ Shield winner
Most % of dribblers tackled in MLS in 2022

Andrew Farrell was taken with the first overall pick in the 2013 MLS Draft by the New England Revolution. Farrell has played in eleven seasons with the club and has played in the most games in team history. The center back immediately jumped onto the scene, as he started all 32 games he appeared in as a 20-year-old in 2013. He has two goals and seven assists in his tenure with New England.

Ferrell led Major League Soccer in the percentage of dribblers tackled in 2022 and has been a consistent force on the backline for the Revolution. The defender has appeared in 345 games for the club, which is more than any other player in team history. The center back also helped New England win the Supporter’s Shield during the 2021 season.