In a shocking move, Thursday, the New York Red Bulls transferred defender John Tolkin to Holstein-Kiel in the Bundesliga.
In return, the Red Bulls will “retain a sell-on percentage.”
One of a kind. Go be great, JMi ❤️
John Tolkin is off to Holstein Kiel of the Bundesliga. pic.twitter.com/hJUIKPtTLo
— New York Red Bulls (@NewYorkRedBulls) January 16, 2025
Over the course of four seasons with the Red Bulls first team, the Chatham, New Jersey-native has dazzled the fanbase with his passion for the game and skill on the pitch, earning seven goals and 12 assists in regular season play.
The 2023 Major League Soccer (MLS) season was especially good to Tolkin as he finished with a Red Bulls franchise record 10 assists. He was also named to the MLS All-Star team that year and became just the second Red Bull homegrown player to do so.
In 2024, Tolkin was a key piece on the Red Bull team that made it all the way to MLS Cup for the second time in franchise history. He played in 28 matches, totaling 2,389 minutes played and became the fifth active MLS player to record five or more game-winning goals before the age of 22. Tolkin even produced the game-winning assist on Andres Reyes headed goal against Orlando City SC in the MLS Eastern Conference Final. He now holds the franchise record for playoff assists with three.
In addition to his exploits with Red Bull, Tolkin has represented the United States on several occasions. He has made four appearances for the U.S. Men’s National Team (USMNT), debuting in 2023 in a friendly against Colombia. He also became just the sixth Red Bulls player (first in the Red Bull New York era) to be named to an Olympics roster when he was named to the United States’ 2024 Olympic roster and he made four starts at the games in Paris.
What makes the Red Bulls most proud of producing a player on the order of John Tolkin is that he was a product of the Red Bulls Academy. Tolkin joined RBA in 2015, making 79 appearances and scoring 15 goals. Four years later, Tolkin got his big break with the Red Bulls II under head coach John Wolyniec, where he would make 13 appearances and notch three assists. He then went on to make the most of his opportunity during the 2021 MLS season with Red Bull’s first team by making 28 appearances, totaling 1,989 minutes and scoring one goal and one assist.
Tolkin became known as ‘JMi’ among the Red Bulls fanbase in 2022 and nicknames are not often given out to players, but Tolkin was one of them.
Holstein-Kiel are currently in 17th place (a relegation spot) in the Bundesliga standings.
