If you watch this video and look at the speed of his feet, he looks like the Muhammad Ali of soccer. – RSL owner Dell Loy Hansen, on Albert Rusnak

For the last 10 seasons, Real Salt Lake had midfielder Javier Morales to be RSL's attacking, creative force. It's a position that's crucial to any MLS team — especially in RSL's 4-3-3 formation.

On Thursday, the team introduced the next player to start at that position. And it found him in an unexpected place.

Albert Rusnak, a 22-year-old who played in the Netherlands' top league for the past three years, signed with the team during a media conference at Rio Tinto Stadium. He will be the only Slovakian in Major League Soccer and only one of a handful of MLSers to have trained at a top European soccer academy.

"This is a big day for our organization," RSL head coach Jeff Cassar said. "I can't tell you how excited I am for this year. He's young, he's energetic, but he has an unbelievable amount of experience, it's going to bleed into what our team is going to be all about this year."

RSL owner Dell Loy Hansen couldn't hold back his excitement to sign a player of this caliber.

"If you watch this video and look at the speed of his feet, he looks like the Muhammad Ali of soccer," Hansen said. "For his training and everything that has come, we feel lucky with the number of teams that would love to have him playing for them that he would pick RSL and pack his bags from Europe and come here … we feel really lucky to have his talent land here."

Rusnak, who is a member of the Slovakian national team, spent six years at the Manchester City FC Academy before being loaned out and ultimately signing on with Dutch club Grogingen.

Prior to Rusnak's introduction, Hansen spoke to some media about RSL's own academy that is under construction. The Herriman facility's school is expected to be completed by late August. The site's training center and Real Monarchs stadium will be ready by 2018, he said.

"The vision of Man City's academy, that he's a product of, is exactly what we want to do for the talent here," Hansen said. "For American and Utah players, we want that experience. … We ought to be able to grow great players right out of Utah. And that's the trick to the future."

Hansen said that the team has expanded its scouting in Northern Europe and expects to continue to look toward that region for future players.

Rusnak, who had only been to the United States once before (as a youth at Man City) was stunned to find out that RSL was interested in him.

"At first it was a big surprise that an MLS club would know about me and what kind of a player I am," Rusnak said. "I can tell from the first conversation I had with (RSL general manager Craig Wiabel) that they knew me and that their interest was really big, so that was the key factor."

He asked for some advice from his father, who also is named Albert Rusnak, a head coach for a second-tier professional Slovakian club and former pro himself.

"From the first moment I said I was interested in RSL, he started watching games from the MLS season. He might know even more than me at this moment of time," Rusnak said with a smile. "He said the league is improving impressively and rapidly over the last few years and has a lot of quality and (strong) athletes, so it's going to be a step forward."

Rusnak was also impressed by the club's modern stadium and strong season-ticket fan base.

At Grogingen, Rusnak led the club to its first major trophy in the club's history, scoring both goals in the KNVB Cup Final — something he wants to do in Utah.

"I want to do as good as I can," he said. "I came here to win games, to win trophies. To help the team reach the highest position possible, that's what I want to do."

Rusnak, who will count as one of RSL's designated players, should be able to join his club by the end of January after all immigration paperwork is completed.

He said he knows the pressure that will be on him in 2017.

"Everywhere you go there's going to be expectations, and it's a self-motivation for myself to reach the highest level possible, so I'm going to put extra pressure on myself. I know I have to deliver."

So far he is owning it. After all, he'll be wearing No. 11, the same Morales wore for the past decade for the Claret and Colbalt.