Q&A: New York Red Bulls new man Gideon Baah talks about his move to the MLS

On Tuesday afternoon, the team announced the signing of Ghanaian international Gideon Baah. The 24-year-old joins New York from Finnish side HJK Helsinki and is looking forward to joining the Red Bull family.

NewYorkRedBulls.com sat down with Baah in an exclusive interview to get his thoughts on joining the team, his relationship with Lloyd Sam, his experience on a Ghanaian reality TV show, and plenty more.

EG: What did you know about the New York Red Bulls, or Major League Soccer in general, before joining the club?

GB: I had the opportunity to watch them all season last year. I know it's a big club, a big organization with lots of affiliates all over the world. I could see that they play some really good football and they have some really good players, like Lloyd Sam who is also from Ghana. I have a basic idea of what the club is and I think it's a good club. I'm very happy to join them.

EG: You played alongside Sam with the Ghanaian national team in October of 2015. What role did he play in bringing you to New York?

GB: He played an integral part. He told me good stuff about the club. It's a big part of the reason why I'm here, so I thank him for that. My agent, Dimitri Seluk, also played a big role. But Lloyd is a good guy and I've been talking to him ever since we met in the national camp. When it's all said and done, I'm here and I'm ready to play for the New York Red Bulls.

EG: While playing for HJK Helsinki, you shared the pitch with former Red Bulls Teemu Tainio and Macoumba Kandji. Did you speak with them about what it would be like to play for the club?

GB: I didn't speak with Tainio, but I did speak to Mac. He said a lot of great things. Generally, I came in with a good impression of not only MLS, but Red Bull especially. Making the decision to play for this club wasn't difficult at all. It's a good step for me in my career, so I just took the step.

EG: You've mainly been deployed as a central defender, but also have some experience at left back. What do you think you will bring to this club?

GB: [laughing] It's very hard to blow your own horn. But I think as a player I will do my best. I can't really tell how much impact I'm going to make within the team. I know I have a lot to learn from the coaches and the technical team. It's just a matter of time; maybe people will see the kind of impact I will make in the team.

EG: Back in 2007, you won a reality TV show in Ghana that gave you the opportunity to train with Chelsea. What was that like?

GB: It was a football reality show. They brought about 32,000 players from across Ghana; it was like a 'Big Brother' kind of thing. People get voted off every week on the show. The coaches would have their say and fans would vote nationwide, but in the end, I won it. Part of the prize was having a trip to Chelsea. I actually met Shaun Wright-Phillips there, but maybe he forgot. It was a very significant time for me. I was there for about two weeks, training with the youth team and the reserves. It was a good experience.

EG: You took part in some Europa League and Champions League qualifying matches during your time in Finland. How will you draw upon your experiences playing at that level and translate it to MLS competition?

GB: It was great to be a part of that. I was playing for one of the biggest clubs in Finland so we had the opportunity to play in those big matches. Even in 2014, we qualified for the group stages of the Europa League, so that was a great achievement. I think that with all that experience behind me, I can bring it to MLS and try to help the Red Bulls make it into the finals.

EG: After speaking with head coach Jesse Marsch and sporting director Ali Curtis, what are your overall impressions of the club?

GB: I think it's a good family. You can see it even from the first day when I met all the guys. I'm very happy to be here; I don't feel left alone, I don't feel left behind. They've welcomed me as a person and as a footballer. It's great to be a part of this family.