ORLANDO, Fla. – Dom Dwyer admitted he was still “in the whirlwind” as he sized up his new Orlando City SC home, fresh from a fan experience that “made him feel like a star.”
Dwyer was referring to the helter-skelter process that took him from Sporting Kansas City in a comparative blink of a eye on Tuesday, and into an ecstatic welcome at Orlando International Airport as he literally ran into the embrace of hundreds of supporters.
On Wednesday morning he was paraded as a Lions player once again – returning to the city where he helped win a 2013 USL championship – and he insisted he had “unfinished business.” The airport reception was the clincher, though.
“It was amazing to be honest,” Dwyer admitted. “I knew I wanted to come back and last night assured it for me. I really felt special, like a star, to be welcomed by such an amazing support group. It’s something I got a little taste of a few years ago and now the team’s on the bigger stage and I’m here, I’m home.
“When I first came here, I hadn’t had much experience at the professional level, but I came to a team that was the best in its league, and it’s an easy situation to come into. You know you’re going to get chances and, as a forward, I’m confident in my ability to score goals. But it was a humbling experience, too. It was a special group and I’m lucky I can still carry the flag for them.”
The 26-year-old was amazed by the speed with which the blockbuster deal concluded, after almost a month of on-off negotiations – “I was definitely surprised, but in a good way. I’m still in the whirlwind right now."
He's also anxious to hit the ground running.
“The moment I left in 2013 it felt like I left something here,” Dwyer said. “I was delighted to come back for that championship game, but I still felt like I had unfinished business. Now the club has evolved, it’s a new place, a new team, and I’m excited to play with a lot of players here. It’s time to bring [another] championship to Orlando.”
Asked to explain just why he and Orlando were such a good fit – apart from his 19 goals in 14 games in 2013 – he initially struggled to put his finger on it.
“It’s not something I can put into words," he said. "But as soon as I got here I felt at home. It’s a fantastic organization, the club does things right. Obviously Kansas City does, too, but it’s an exciting time to be here and I hope I’m here for a long time and I can help the club grow even more.”
Dwyer has yet to play at Orlando City Stadium, having been suspended for Sporting’s 2-2 draw with the Lions in May, but he is well aware of the atmosphere.
“As the guys came back into the locker room on the Monday, they were all constantly talking about how amazing the atmosphere was, how ridiculous the fans were, how intimidating it was as a place to play, and to have all that on my side now is amazing,” he explained. “The fans are what makes this club super special. It is a different place to me and I just want to repay everyone’s love and appreciation with what I do best.
“I like to break records. I don’t believe I am the club’s record scorer, so that’s something I’d like to work towards. But most important is I’d like to bring a championship to this side. They have a USL trophy but there’s no MLS Cup yet, and I want to see the museum filling up with trophies.”
Dwyer’s existing contract runs out at the end of the year, but he has no concerns about a new long-term deal.
“That’s something that’s dealt with outside, with the agents and stuff,” he insisted. “Right now I am focused on playing. If [a new deal] is something the club wants to do then of course I’m very open to that. They traded a lot for me so I’d assume I’m in their long-term goals.”
