Patrick Vieira leaves Manchester City to manage New York City FC

The former Arsenal and France captain will leave his position as Manchester City’s Elite Development Squad manager after signing a three-year contract with the new MLS franchise.

After one year with an established MLS mind at the helm, New York City FC has turned to its European roots for the club’s next head coach.

He is traveling to New York this week to meet with the players, sporting director Claudio Reyna, and goalkeeping coach Rob Vartughian.

Taking over New York City is a logical, inevitable step in what City – the English club and the global football group alike – hope is Vieira’s rise to the top of the managerial tree.

The former Arsenal midfielder was heavily linked with the vacant Newcastle United job in the summer but he eventually rejected the opportunity.

In May 2013, as the club ditched Roberto Mancini in favour of Manuel Pellegrini’s more “holistic” approach, Vieira was handed the reins to City’s Elite Development Squad. “I can not wait to get started”, Vieira said in a statement. “I am excited to work with him and I know the energy he will bring to the role will have a hugely positive impact across the Club”.

A celebrated player for both country and club, Vieira has featured for France 107 times winning the World Cup in 1998 and the Euros in 2000.

“Patrick is a natural born leader”. He has played under a few of the best managers in the world and experienced different leagues and playing styles, enjoying success everywhere he has been. At club level, he has won the Premier League title three times and FA Cup on four occasions with the Gunners. “We’re looking forward to him joining us in the coming weeks”.

New York City will be a new challenge for the 39-year-old, who never played professionally in North America himself. But with NYCFC – which hired him away from RSL and embedded him with parent company Manchester City before the MLS side’s debut season – Kreis failed to reach the goals set by management in his debut campaign.