Austin FC has announced that Alex Ring has been appointed the Club’s first-ever Captain. The Finnish international was acquired by Austin FC in December 2020.
“Alex Ring has the perfect attributes to lead our team, on and off the pitch, as Club Captain,” commented Claudio Reyna, Austin FC Sporting Director. “We are lucky to have a team full of leaders, so Alex has significant support throughout the team to help us achieve our objectives as we embark upon our inaugural season.”
"I am proud to have been named Austin FC’s first-ever Captain,” commented Ring. "I want to thank Claudio, Josh and the whole team for this honor. We are all focused on the season ahead, starting with LAFC on Saturday. I’m proud to lead our team as Captain at our first match; it’s something that will live with me forever."
“Alex is a born leader, a player with experience in MLS as a Captain, and someone who pushes the Club on every day, in training and competition,” added Josh Wolff, Austin FC Head Coach. “He is a natural choice to be Captain, and I know he’s going to be there when it counts, driving the team forward, inspiring those around him, and setting the standards we expect from our players.”
Before joining Austin FC, Ring, 29, made 120 career appearances (119 starts) in over four (4) seasons in Major League Soccer, scoring 10 goals and tallying 13 assists in regular season play. He also made three (3) appearances (three (3) starts) in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup (2019), while leading his previous club NYCFC in regular season minutes played in 2020 and 2019. Ring was made Captain in 2019. The year prior, Ring was selected as a Coach's pick for the 2018 MLS All-Star Game, where he was a starter against Italian powerhouse Juventus FC.
Prior to joining MLS, Ring spent the 2014-17 seasons with German side 1. FC Kaiserslautern where he registered 83 appearances (73 starts). Ring spent the two (2) seasons prior (2011-13) with five-time Bundesliga Champion Borussia Monchengladbach, playing in 21 matches and scoring one (1) goal across competitions, which included UEFA Champions League and Europa League.
A native of Helsinki, Finland, Ring played for two (2) seasons with Helsinki HJK (2010-11), logging 43 starts and contributing six (6) goals across all competitions. Ring propelled HJK to the Club’s most successful season in 2011, winning the Suomen Cup and the Finnish Veikkausliiga. In the international arena, Ring has represented Finland at the senior level in 43 matches (39 starts), scoring two (2) goals while competing in the Baltic Cup, European Qualifiers, and World Cup Qualifiers.
Photos Courtesy: Austin FC