Get to know Lucy Rushton

General Manager & Head of Technical Recruitment & Analysis

By D.C. United

May 26^th, 2021

Why did you decide to join the Black-and-Red? What excited you about this opportunity?

A lot excited me about this opportunity! But, there are four that standout.

First, the stature and the history of the club speaks for itself. The club have a deep tradition within MLS and a good history of being successful. It’s always attractive to work for a club of such stature and magnitude.

Secondly, the owners. Speaking to Jason Levien and Steve Kaplan, and hearing their ambition, desire for change and their want to improve the club and move forward. That was exciting to me, because it gives me the opportunity to come in and drive that.

Third, was having the ability to work with the staff already here. Dave Kasper and Stewart Mairs, in particular, to be able to learn from and work under someone of Dave’s caliber is second to none. His experience in MLS is unbeatable, so for me to be able to come into this role was awesome and a no-brainer. Knowing as well that the foundations for what we want to achieve have been built already with Stewart’s guidance was a big plus and he’s been fantastic since I arrived. We have similar backgrounds in terms of analysis, data, and scouting, so to come in and work with these individuals was an exciting prospect.

Finally, Hernán Losada as well. Seeing the manager the club brought in and his playing style and philosophies, and knowing that I was going to come in and work with someone who wants to play football in an exciting way and create an exciting brand, appealed heavily to me.

What are your initial thoughts on the team?

There’s a lot of talent, especially with our young pros. We have a lot to work with and a lot to build from. Seeing the team play and train under Hernán, I know there’s buy-in from the players for what he wants to do and what he’s asking them to do. The work rate of the players has been phenomenal, and the team has really gelled and is connecting well, while learning Hernan’s style of play, and meeting the demands of what his system and tactics require.

Defensively, we’ve been absolutely spot on. I think we have one of the best defensive records as far as conceding chances in the league, which is impressive for a group this young with a new manager along with all of the changes we’ve had to make and the injuries we’ve had.

We also play entertaining football. We like to press forward, so we’re getting into good areas, and we’re creating chances. So, all around it's exciting football. We need to get better at finishing our chances, and that will come, but overall, it’s been very positive.

What is one thing you should know about Lucy Rushton?

I was never the smartest in school. I was never the best on my football team. I was never the popular kid. But, I’ve worked incredibly hard throughout my life, school, college, and my job. Where I am today is not just through intelligence, it’s through my work ethic and being prepared to work hard. I’ve had my doubters and teachers who told me that I’m not smart enough to take certain subjects, or coaches who didn’t treat me well because I wasn’t the best on the team. But if you rise above it, you will find someone who believes in you. I haven’t had it easy, and hopefully people can see that you can achieve and do well in life despite having setbacks or doubters. You just have to work hard and put your mind to it and be diligent, consistent, and confident.

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