The last time New York City FC forward Sean Okoli played in MLS, he had trouble finding minutes.

Slotted behind David Villa, his chances might look even slimmer this season, but the 24-year-old is out to prove he’s more than just a backup.

“When I first entered the league, I was 20 years old,” said the speedy 6-foot-1 forward. “I’ve felt like I’ve changed a lot with my training habits and making sure I’m ready for training every day.”

Back in 2013, Okoli signed as a Homegrown Player with the Seattle Sounders, but he was blocked by established stars Clint Dempsey and Obafemi Martins. He requested a trade to the New England Revolution and he again found himself stuck on the bench.

After he appeared in just five games in 2015, Okoli was released and signed with FC Cincinnati in the USL, the third tier of the American soccer leagues. A move to a lower-level league seems like a career killer, but playing under former U.S. World Cup star John Harkes might have jump-started it.

“[We] came to an understanding that I was going to have a platform in games to really show what I could do,” Okoli said. “I just wanted to make the most of it and play every game like it was my last. And it worked out all right.”

Okoli and Harkes worked closely to analyze his game through videotaped training sessions, where they dissected everything from his movements, technique and finishing.

“He seemed he get hungrier and hungrier each time you brought something to his attention that he was open to learning, to wanting more,” Harkes said in a phone interview. “I saw him blossom throughout the year through that type of approach.He had a great season last year. I was excited to see him smile again.”

Okoli, whom teammates call “Ugo,” led the USL in scoring with 16 goals and won the league’s MVP last season.

Perhaps coach Patrick Vieira’s vision for the future, Okoli already has appeared in NYCFC’s first two games, hitting two shots on target in six minutes against Orlando City. Okoli’s next chance to impress will be when NYCFC hosts the Montreal Impact on Saturday at Yankee Stadium (2 p.m., YES).

While earning quality minutes might be difficult, especially behind Villa, his ex-coach thinks sitting is good.

“He’s a student of the game, he should be [sitting],” said Harkes, who resigned as FC Cincinnati head coach in February. “You’re not going to learn more than from a guy like Patrick Vieira, especially his experience both as a player and a coach.”

His time on the bench might not last, though. Vieira alluded to playing three at the back to pair Okoli up top with Villa.

“I’m hoping we can get a lot of time together on the field,” Okoli said of the reigning MLS MVP. “Because we can complement each other greatly.”