Tommy McNamara has never been one to seek out the spotlight. In the New York City FC dressing room, surrounded by stars like Andrea Pirlo and David Villa, the midfielder quietly packs his bag before occasionally taking a swig from his post-game shake.

With a quick exhale, he looks up and nods, confirming he is ready to take questions, “It’s really nice to be playing at home [in New York] and to be around my family and friends,” McNamara tells Yahoo Sport UK. “They come out to every game. New York City and New York State is part of me, and to be able to represent that is great, and I take that very seriously.”

To say McNamara is merely ‘representing’ NYCFC is to understate his contribution in 2016. Three goals and four assists have elevated the 25-year-old into playing a key role in Patrick Vieira’s side. Consequently the Frenchman has become quite enamored with McNamara already, “I love Tommy Mac.” Vieira told mlssoccer.com in preseason. “Technically he’s really good, his game understanding is fantastic. He’s really smart on the field – you tell him what he has to do, you tell him once and he understands it. And he can score goals as well.”

When asked about his coach, McNamara is equally as complimentary, “I like the way we work, it’s been very enjoyable. ” he says. “It’s very technical, it’s very tactical. The whole staff has been great. They’ve been very clear what they expect out of the players.”

However, with McNamara’s stock quickly rising, it could become difficult to manage the pressure placed on him, “I don’t feel any pressure on me or anything,” he says confidently. “I think that it’s my second year after the ACL injury, and I feel a lot better coming into this season than I did last season. To start off the pre-season physically fit, and ready to go was great. I think I just took off from there.”

McNamara’s latest moment of brilliance arrived on Sunday against the Portland Timbers. With the tied at 1-1, McNamara produced a delightful curling effort from the edge of the box that was somewhat reminiscent of his opening goal of the season against the Chicago Fire, “You have to raise your game anywhere in the league, it doesn’t matter if it’s here [NYCFC] or anywhere else,” McNamara says. “If you want to be someone that makes a difference in games, and contributes in games you’re going to have to grow from your rookie year into your third year. It doesn’t matter if it was here, or anywhere else.”

Thriving individually, McNamara has also struck up a close bond with teammate David Villa. On Sunday, the midfielder connected more passes with Villa than any other teammate, while also creating two chances for the Spaniard, “I think it’s a little bit of both, [a natural connection, and work on the training field],” McNamara says of his relationship with Villa. “Last year we had good moments together and he’s obviously a great player so it’s easy to play off of him. Where we’re positioned on the field, that’s obviously where we want that [link up] to happen. He’s not just a mentor with me. He’s our captain, he’s our leader, and he’s looking to help all of the younger guys grow as players.”

When asked about his teammate, Villa is full of praise, “Tommy is good,” Villa tells Yahoo Sport UK. “He always does good things for our team. He works hard, he is strong, and he is very good for the team.”

Such industry will prove useful during McNamara’s next test - the Hudson River Derby against the New York Red Bulls. A fixture the Red Bulls dominated last season, McNamara is now eager to redress the balance, “I feel as though I’m representing the people that love soccer in this area and so it means a lot to me,” he says. “It doesn’t matter if we’re playing Red Bulls or were playing Montreal, I take a lot of pride in my performances and making sure that my commitment is never questioned.”

Away from his club career, McNamara is also keeping an eye on his international prospects. A dual national with the Republic of Ireland, there remains tentative talk about a tug of war emerging between Jurgen Klinsmann and Martin O’Neill, “I don’t think about it all the time but I think every body would love to represent the US Men’s National Team,” McNamara says. “It would mean a lot to me, but I’m focused on here [NYCFC] and if I continue doing well here then perhaps the opportunity will present itself.”

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