Jonny Shore is the most surprising player on a New York City FC squad that is having a surprising season.
From his unexpected start on opening day against Inter Miami at the tender age of 17, to his masterful performances in the wins over Orlando City on March 8 and Philadelphia Union on April 12, Shore has shown why he deserved to be promoted from NYCFC II to the First Team. The Homegrown midfielder is easily the biggest revelation on the NYCFC roster this year.
He is one of the reasons why the team is contending for a playoff position despite losing Santiago Rodríguez and James Sands in the offseason. What looked to be a hollowed-out midfield is now bursting with talent thanks to Shore's easy acclimation to Major League Soccer and the recent arrival of Aiden O'Neill from Standard de Liège. And if sporting director David Lee adds a serious No 10 in the summer transfer window, New York City could even make a deep run in the MLS Cup Playoffs.
Go with the flow
Shore is fun to watch on the field.
Positionally he's a No 6, a defensive midfielder tasked with recovering the ball when not in possession. But his movement is more like that of a playmaker, somebody who fluidly progresses the ball through by making arcing runs that keep the opposition off-balance.
Shore has a flow. When he responds to a play he already knows where he's going to go and what he's going to do. That ability to literally run around opposing players is part of the reason why Shore is so effective despite his youth – he turned 18 in April – and his size: The midfielder is officially listed as 5' 8" tall, and 135 lbs.
Not only is Shore two moves ahead of the opposition, he plays with a confidence that belies his years. He freely joins the attack, and has taken 12 shots this year to give him an xG of 0.55 per FotMob. (By comparison, James Sands took 12 shots over the entire course of the 2024 season, and ended the year with an xG of 0.59 per FotMob.) Watch Shore him in training, and it's clear that it's just a matter of time before he notches his first MLS goal.
Kid at play
At the start of May, we looked at the minutes logged by Shore and compared him to other young players who came up through the club. Back then, he was on track to post the most playing time of any NYCFC Homegrown during their debut season. Shore has since shattered Andres Jasson's record of 676 minutes over the 2021 season, with 1083 minutes through 17 games this year.
New York City FC | Homegrown Debut Seasons
| Player | Year | Age | Apps | Starts | Mins |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jonny Shore | 2025 | 17 | 16 | 12 | 1083 |
| Andres Jasson | 2021 | 19 | 20 | 6 | 676 |
| Tayvon Gray | 2021 | 18 | 10 | 3 | 375 |
| Christian McFarlane | 2024 | 17 | 8 | 4 | 368 |
| Joe Scally | 2020 | 17 | 4 | 1 | 70 |
| Máximo Carrizo* | 2025 | 17 | 3 | 0 | 67 |
| James Sands | 2017 | 17 | 1 | 0 | 23 |
| Seymour Reid* | 2025 | 17 | 1 | 0 | 17 |
| Justin Haak | 2019 | 17 | 3 | 0 | 6 |
* Through 10 games
Looking at all of New York City's teenage debutants, Shore is on track to surpass the 1193 minutes posted by Mitja Ilenič in 2023. If he continues to get starts under Jansen, he could even beat the 1751 minutes from Jack Harrison in 2016.
New York City FC | Teenage Debut Seasons
| Player | Year | Age | Apps | Starts | Mins |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jack Harrison | 2016 | 19 | 23 | 19 | 1751 |
| Mitja Ilenič† | 2023 | 18 | 22 | 13 | 1193 |
| Jonny Shore* | 2025 | 17 | 16 | 12 | 1083 |
| Angeliño | 2015 | 18 | 14 | 10 | 994 |
| Agustín Ojeda† | 2024 | 19 | 22 | 11 | 921 |
| Andres Jasson | 2021 | 19 | 20 | 6 | 676 |
| Talles Magno† | 2021 | 18 | 15 | 5 | 444 |
| Tayvon Gray | 2021 | 18 | 10 | 3 | 375 |
| Christian McFarlane | 2024 | 17 | 8 | 4 | 368 |
| Jonathan Lewis | 2017 | 19 | 11 | 4 | 342 |
| Julián Fernández† | 2023 | 19 | 9 | 2 | 319 |
* Through 17 games
† Previous First Team experience
The comparison to Harrison is significant. Shore is on pace to become the first teenager to be fully integrated into the First Team since Harrison made 19 starts alongside David Villa. Notably, Harrison made his debut at the age of 19, while Shore was just 17 on Matchday 1.
More of the same
There is not much to fault in Shore's game, or his contributions to the team. No notes, as they say in Hollywood.
Yes, he does make mistakes on occasion. And he is often tested by the older, stronger, more experienced players in the league. But that's to be expected for a player this young. Shore is getting stronger and smarter as the season progresses, and we'll see how he continues to develop under the mentorship of players like O'Neill and Maxi Moralez.
Last year, Alonso Martínez came out of nowhere to spearhead NYCFC's attack, and to everybody's surprise became one of the best strikers in the league. This year, Shore is the club's breakout player, and could come to establish himself as one of the top No 6s in MLS.
