Josh Williams has revealed that a meeting with new Columbus Crew head coach Gregg Berhalter helped influence him to remain with the club.
The 25-year old defender, born and bred in Ohio, was looking for a new challenge when his contract expired at the end of the 2013 MLS season but says a chat with incoming boss Berhalter inclined him to re-sign with the Crew.
"I really wanted to push myself out of my comfort zone just to see where I could take my level of play," Williams said.
"Gregg said all the right things and his positive comments and the positive vibe he puts out made me want to stay here.
"I sat down with Gregg during the negotiation process and I really liked what he had to say.
"I liked what he had to say about improving my game and his vision for the team. That was definitely a big part of my decision: how we play and how the coach sees me and my growth. [The negotiations] didn't really take that long.
"Once I found out he was coming, I had one meeting with him and I was basically sold."
