Why one Scottish MLS fan will miss Mix Diskerud more than most

Mix Diskerud
Name of the game: Mix Diskerud celebrates scoring the first goal in New York City FC history Credit: Getty Images

When it was announced that Mix Diskerud was surplus to requirements at New York City FC, it hit one MLS fan hard. A Scottish teenager named Ross MacDonald. 

Or to give him his full name - Ross Alasdair Mix MacDonald.

The 19-year-old infamously announced on Twitter last March that he would legally incorporate the Norwegian-American player's name into his own if the midfielder scored the first goal in New York City history.

And after Diskerud found the net in a 1-1 draw with Kaka's Orlando City, the US international took to social media to ask MacDonald if he was going to carry out his pledge.

The then photography student, caught up in an online storm, figured a promise was a promise and a few weeks later took on the middle name Mix.

"It was quite a surreal moment, I couldn’t process it at the time," MacDonald recalls of his moment of online fame.

"Seventy five minutes into that inaugural match for both NYCFC and Orlando City, Mix Diskerud cut inside and curled the ball around Orlando’s goalkeeper with a world-class finish. I just sat there and said to myself, 'He’s actually done it'.

"Later that night Mix replied to my tweet about the name change bet, confirming that I would not be able to back out.

"It was two days after passing my driving test, so I was having to send my licence away again to get the name changed.

"My Twitter went crazy, and newspaper and radio companies were getting in contact at an alarming rate. I didn't expect it to take off so much.

"Within 24 hours I was on live to New York's 1010NEWS sports hour for an interview. I couldn't comprehend how this was happening."

MacDonald was also featured in the Scottish Sun (below).

MacDonald has keenly been following Diskerud's career at New York City ever since and would like to see the midfielder play in his hometown of Glasgow now that Patrick Vieira has said he can leave.

"Under Patrick Vieira, NYCFC have changed dynamically," adds MacDonald who recently worked on the picture desk of the Homeless World Cup in Glasgow.

"It is disappointing to see Mix being left out of the US national team, as well as the NYCFC team, not even making the bench.

"With both the centre-midfield positions occupied, Mix is struggling to get in the team. 

"I wouldn’t mind him joining one of the Glasgow sides, Rangers or Celtic. I think he would welcomed in Scotland and would be able to compete in one of the biggest derby rivalries in the world.

"Mix was linked with Celtic when in Glasgow for USMNT’s friendly against Scotland in November 2013. Is he the kind of player Brendan Rodgers will look at?"

And as for his unusual new middle name, MacDonald remains extremely proud of it.

"Whenever people see my name written down in full they always say, 'Never seen Mix as a name before?' or 'Mix, how did you get that name?' I will say it's a long story, but I end up telling the facade.

"As it was on my accreditation/name tag while working at the Homeless World Cup, I got lots of questions about the name.

"I put it on the tag because you don't get many chances to have your middle name on something. It's good to give the name a little publicity."

Diskerud's spell at New York City may end up brief - and somewhat disappointing - but he has left a permanent mark in one corner of Glasgow.

 

License this content