When Minnesota United reached out to English League Two, fourth-division defender Ethan Bristow, he did his homework.
He Googled it.
“I researched,” Bristow said. “Isn’t it the Twin Cities, the Land of 10,000 Lakes?”
Well, sort of. That number is rounded down from as many as 14,000 or more, depending how they’re counted.
“I’ve heard there’s a lot more,” Bristow said. “I’ve heard the people are absolutely as kind as anything.”
The Loons on Tuesday announced Bristow’s signing from Tranmere Rovers through the 2025 season, with a club option for 2026. He’ll occupy an international spot and provide competition and depth as a natural 6-2, left-footed left back.
That’s a position where the Loons also have veterans Kemar Lawrence and Zarek Valentin and young Devin Padelford.
“He’s a specimen of a kid,” Loons coach Adrian Heath said. “Very athletic, played 46 games in League Two last year, which for a young kid is no mean feat. That’s man’s football. The physical side of game he can cope with as well. He has a lot of tools to work with. Over the next two years, between him and Devin, we have two good, young fullbacks.”
Contacted by two teams in England’s Championship second division, Bristow, 21, chose to leave home for Minnesota and MLS.
“It feels incredible,” he said after training with his new team in Blaine on Tuesday. “It’s completely different than England, so I was ready to go. I’m just happy to be on the field, to be honest.”
The summer sun beat down on his head as he spoke. “You don’t get sunlight like this in England,” Bristow said.
Bristow played for Tranmere Rovers just six miles away from Premier League’s Liverpool FC and Everton FC. Manchester City and Manchester United are less than an hour away.
An Everton man through and through, Heath said his connections in the “Merseyside” area helped the Loons find and sign Bristow.
“The minute we spoke to him, he gave us his word he wanted to be here,” Heath said.
Bristow participated in the first weeks of England’s pre-season training before striking the deal to come to Minnesota. He said he was convinced “just the way they play.”
Heath said he expects Bristow will be acclimated and ready to contribute after the new Leagues Cup five-week break from MLS play. That would be Aug. 20 at New York City FC.
“When I was back home, I looked at clips and watched a few of their games,” Bristow said. “It was just a completely different challenge than if I were to stay in England. It’s going to be a good challenge for me in my career.”
If not Sunday, then…
Starting center-back Micky Tapias had an injection in his hurting ankle that he rolled last week at Houston, Heath said. If he can’t play Sunday’s Leagues Cup opener against Puebla of Mexican Liga MX, then Heath expects he’d be ready for a July 27 Leagues Cup game against Chicago.
“Let it settle down for a couple of days and we’ll see where we are,” Heath said. Left-side attacker Franco Fragapane trained outside on his own Tuesday. Like Tapias, Heath said Fragapane should be ready to play against Chicago, if not before on Sunday.