Vito Wormgoor's initial exposure to the Columbus Crew came before any member of the technical staff reached out.
Wormgoor, a Dutch native and 12-year veteran centerback with over 300 appearances in Europe, knew goalkeeper Eloy Roomand midfielder Youness Mokhtarfrom previous playing days and had kept tabs on Room prior to his mid-summer signing with Columbus in 2019.
“The funny thing is I was following Eloy...and I knew him and he signed in the Club, and I thought in that specific moment, ‘It’s a good club. Maybe one day it will also be a good club for me.’”
Wormgoor's playing time in the Dutch league overlapped with Mokhtar and Room, he said, and Wormgoor's little brother played with Room at Vitesse. The immediate familiarity is a nice touch, Wormgoor said, but also the initial meetings with the Crew's technical staff spawned a tangible connection, he continued.
“When you hear about the interest, you are honored and happy about the interest. And then you talk with the specific people in the club, and the connection, the feeling with the Club was right, it was good," Wormgoor said. “You need to have a good first impression, first connection with the Club...but the connection was there with the right people, and I spoke of course with my wife and family and they were very happy.”
Wormgoor, a "family man" as described by President and General Manager Tim Bezbatchenko, spoke with Room and Mokhtar specifically about what Columbus had to offer, both on and off the field.
“How the Club is for my family to live in Columbus," was the line of questioning Wormgoor asked Room and Mokhtar.
He continued, saying "the ambitions of the Club, I think, are also very important, you know, ‘What are their ambitions?’ But especially for me, the most important thing was, 'Is it good enough for my family?' And they said it was, and it’s perfect.”
A product of the AFC Ajax Academy, Wormgoor began his career in the Netherlands before most recently playing for SK Brann of Norway’s First Division from 2017-2019. During his three seasons with Brann, the defender served as the team’s captain, making 86 appearances (all starts).
An animated centerback, Wormgoor has proven to be a contributor on the offensive end as well, scoring 11 goals and providing four assists in the Eliteserien, Norway's topflight.
Notably, the 31-year-old brings captain experience, an aspect Bezbatchenko and Technical Director Pat Onstad spoke on.
"Vito is a leader. I think that’s the first thing we noticed, is that he has a presence about him that commands respect and attention," Bezbatchenko said. "He’s a winner. He’s been the captain of his teams. He’s won titles. He’s played in multiple countries. He’s played in different competitions. But first and foremost is the fact that he’s a leader and he knows how to lead a group of players."
Wormgoor echoed that sentiment, valuing the qualitative aspects of his game more than anything.
"Especially the leadership I want to bring over to the group...I’m not like the scorer on the team. Last year I scored some goals but I’m more satisfied and happy when we have a clean sheet for example," Vito said.
"For leadership, you have to put every minute, every second - also in the dressing room, outside of the stadium - you have a responsibility for your team but also for your fans, for those people. So leadership, you need to show twenty-four, seven."
Alongside vocal players like Jonathan Mensahand Josh Williams, Wormgoor rounds out a centerback depth chart which includes Homegrown Aboubacar Keitaand recent waiver acquisition Axel Sjöberg.
"Vito’s acquisition for us, with Axel Sjöberg coming in on waivers now, we feel we have five very good centerbacks in our league. Our depth is outstanding, so that’s one thing we are excited about," Onstad said.
Among the number of reasons Wormgoor stood out - which included his own personal interest in the Crew - is the style of play he brings, which fits well with Head Coach Caleb Porter's preference, Onstad said.
“I think Vito caught our attention for various reasons, but a couple; one is we do know after we did our background is that he is very interested in MLS and actually knew a lot about the league and also our Club.
"So, when you go meet a guy who is interested in the Club, interested in the project, that really helps sell you on him and vice versa. But I think for us, we feel he’s an experienced centerback. He brings great leadership - he was the captain of his team. He is an aggressive type guy, which is the type of centerback that Caleb likes."
Wormgoor stressed how he always wanted to come to MLS.
“I always wanted to go to the MLS, and I know I cannot specifically say ‘OK, that’s why,’ but me and my wife, we wanted to have the American Dream and I think now the chance was there to join...and in the end, I’m sitting here. It’s perfect."
