The following is an English translation of Andy Najar's statement:
Good afternoon all. Thank you for your attendance today. The purpose of this press conference is to announce my desire to represent my birth country, Honduras, at an international level with the national soccer selections.
I want to thank many people who have given me support, who have played an important role in my life, and who have helped me make this decision. In first place, I want to thank God and my family for always being by my side; D.C. United for giving me the opportunity to reach my dreams of being a professional player; my teammates, and coaching staff for their support; my agent Chris Megaloudis and the company James Grant Sports; and especially, all the fans who have been following my career and supporting me.
I want to make clear the purpose for which I waited until this moment to make a decision.
In first place, I just turned 18 years old, and one of my primary goals was to finish high school before making a decision. This was very important to my family and I. When I signed a contract with D.C. United, part of the agreement was that I would continue studying with a tutor in order to receive my high school diploma. I feel very proud to inform you that, thanks to God, I'm just about to accomplish that goal, and I will graduate in the following weeks.
Second, I wanted to concentrate on my first year as a player with D.C. United. I'm very thankful for everything the club has done for my family and I. For a young man like me, I've had to learn, and continue learning every day, about the different responsibilities and everything it means to be a professional player. All these aspects are new to me. I wanted to play one full season with D.C. United to know if I was ready, mentally and physically, to be able to play at an international level.
Finally, in these last months, I wanted to focus in the pre-season work with D.C. United. We have a new team, with great players, where there's a lot of competition to win a spot on the first team. Because of this, I wanted to work hard and concentrate on fighting for a spot on the team.
I always asked fans, the media, and everyone else who asked me about this subject to be patient, that when the moment of opportunity would come, I would make a decision with my family.
Well, the time has come, and I thank all the fans that have been following me, and I reiterate that my desire is to play with the Honduras national team. If I get called up, with great pleasure I will go and represent my birth country and contribute my two cents.
Thank you, and God bless.
