HANOVER, N.J. – For Sacha Kljestan, Tuesday’s terrorist attacks that hit Belgium’s capital of Brussels hit close to his heart. The American-born player, now with the MLS’ New York Red Bulls, was once an influential part of Belgium powerhouse Anderlecht, which is based in Brussels.

Kljestan spent six seasons with Anderlecht, which regularly top Belgium’s top division and compete in the Champions League, before leaving to come back to MLS last year. He left with a touching tribute from Anderlecht’s fans, who grew to love the tireless and relentless midfielder.

He counts a number of friends and former teammates who are still in the country.

“It was tragic. I woke up really early that morning for some reason and I checked my phone and had text messages from friends here in the states saying ‘Hey, did you see what is going on in Brussels.’ And I started reading the news, started reaching out to all my friends to make sure if they are OK and fortunately they all were,” Kljestan said on Thursday following practice with the Red Bulls.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fovMfbXAw6o

“But it hits close to home because that Metro station was less than a mile from my old apartment, the neighborhood where they found the guy from the Paris attacks a week earlier. It was neighborhood I went to quite often because one of my favorite restaurants was there.

“It’s just a tragic event for all of us in the human race, this is just a sad day and it is happening all over the world right now. We just need to stick together.”

Kljestan made 180 appearances for Anderlecht in the six seasons he played in Europe.

On Wednesday afternoon, just a day after Kljsestan learned about the attacks in Brussels, the Red Bulls took buses from their training facility in north Jersey to Manhattan to visit the World Trade Center site. For many of the Red Bulls players, in particular the international players on the team, it was their first visit to the site of 9-11 terror attacks.

I took this photo today at the 9/11 Memorial in NYC. USA stands with you Belgium and everyone in Brussels. pic.twitter.com/Mu60bBc8KN — Sacha Kljestan (@SachaKljestan) March 24, 2016

It was an emotional time for a man who still coming to grips with the losses in a place he called home for much of his professional career.

“I still remember 2001, it was a sad day in American history. It is something that will always stick with us,” Kljestan said. “You see the little ‘Survivor Tree’ – the tree that made it, and there were little Belgium flags there.”