Alessandro Nesta sending the right messages for Montreal

Two important sentences to remember from Alessandro Nesta, the decorated Italian defender just signed by Major League Soccer’s expansion Montreal Impact. These were from Nesta’s news conference yesterday as the club officially announced having signed the 36-year-old through the 2013 season.

First:

Even at 36, my reputation is defined not by what I’ve done, but by what I’ll keep on doing.”

That’s all you really want to hear from these guys, that they still have desire, that they still care and that they aren’t just looking at MLS as the 19^th hole, so to speak, just a place to get a drink and celebrate the round you’ve just complete.

Nesta either can or can’t cope with MLS – but if he can’t, it won’t be because he left his “give-a-hoot” back in Italy. (I personally believe Nesta will be fine in MLS, but there are some big, fast, physical forwards who could give a 36-year-old some problems.)

Second:

There were negotiations with New York, but in the end, I felt like they didn’t want me much. There was a certain degree of intent on their part, but as a player, you want to know you’re important to a club. That’s how the Montreal Impact made me feel.”

We’ll see what the Red Bulls have up their sleeve, summer transfer-wise. But if Wilman Conde can’t get back on the field and remain healthy, the Red Bulls are missing a central defensive center piece. Nesta could have provided it.