RBNY Transfer Defender John Tolkin to Holstein Kiel of Bundesliga
HARRISON, N.J. (January 16, 2025) – The New York Red Bulls have transferred defender John Tolkin to Bundesliga side Holstein Kiel, the club announced today. New York will retain a sell-on percentage.
“John Tolkin has been a great role model for our young players for the pathway he has taken to get to this point, and he has meant a lot to our organization,” said Head of Sport Jochen Schneider. “He has been an outstanding player and person for our club over the last ten years and we appreciate everything he has done for the club. It’s great to see that a player who joined us at a very young age made his way from our academy to our first team and is now joining a Bundesliga club. We wish him and his family all the best in the next chapter of his career.”
Tolkin, 22, has spent the last four seasons with the Red Bulls’ first team, where he has made 114 MLS appearances with 107 of them being starts. He scored seven goals and tallied 12 assists. In 2023, Tolkin set new franchise records for most assists by a defender in a single season across all competitions with 10 and he recorded the most assists by a homegrown in a single season across all competitions, passing Tyler Adams, who had nine in 2018. He was named to the MLS All-Star roster in 2023, becoming only the second homegrown player to be named All-Star.
This past season, Tolkin made 28 MLS appearances and totaled 2,389 minutes played. Tolkin became the fifth active MLS player to record five or more game-winning goals before turning the age of 22. Tolkin played and started in all five playoff matches helping lead New York to their second-ever MLS Cup appearance. He recorded the game-winning assist in New York’s 1-0 win over Orlando City SC on November 30, 2024, in the Eastern Conference Final and helped the Red Bulls secure their first-ever Eastern Conference Championship. Tolkin now holds the franchise record for most playoff assists by a defender with three.
During his time New York, Tolkin has featured for the United States National Team, he has made four appearances and totaled 214 minutes played. He made his debut for the senior national team on January 28, 2023, in a friendly against Colombia. Tolkin also featured for the United States Olympic Team while with the Red Bulls. He represented the United States during the 2024 Summer Olympics and became the sixth player in franchise history to be named to an Olympics roster and the first in the RBNY era.
Prior to signing with the first team, Tolkin was a product of Red Bulls Academy, which he joined in 2015. The Chatham, N.J. native made 79 career appearances for the Academy and scored 15 goals. He started to make appearances for New York Red Bulls II in 2019. Tolkin made 13 USL Championship appearances and tallied 807 minutes played with three assists. He recorded his first career professional assist in his first professional appearance on July 10, 2019, in a 4-3 comeback win over Bethlehem Steel SC.
TRANSACTION: The New York Red Bulls have transferred defender John Tolkin to Bundesliga side Holstein Kiel on January 16, 2025
