Real Madrid legend Raul has signed a deal with NASL side New York Cosmos, it has been announced.
The 37-year-old will link up with the team in time for the start of the new campaign in April 2015. The Cosmos play in a league one division below the MLS but have a long-term plan to establish themselves as one of the forces of American football.
The club folded in 1985 having featured the likes of Pele and Franz Beckenbauer, but was re-established in 2013.
As well as taking on a playing role, 37-year-old Raul will also be the club’s technical adviser for the youth academy.
Speaking about the deal, Raul said he was excited to part of the new project. “Everyone throughout the soccer world knows the Cosmos name and the legacy of the players that played for this team previously,” he said.
And he added: “They helped establish soccer in America and I’m honoured to follow in their footsteps. I believe in this club’s vision and I’m excited to be a part of it.”
Raul remains an icon among Madridistas having scored 323 goals in 741 games for Los Blancos. He won six La Liga trophies and three Champions League trophies in his time at the Santiago Bernabeu.
