Brek Shea, one of Inter Miami’s lowest-paid players, has proven invaluable. Here’s why
Inter Miami’s back line is depleted. The team may be forced to play a pivotal road game against the New York Red Bulls Saturday without two of its three starting center backs.
Coach Phil Neville, desperate for a solution, looked around the locker room and found his answer: Brek Shea.
The versatile former member of the U.S. national team, known for changing his hairstyle as often as his field position, is one of the team’s lowest-paid players with a base salary of $135,000. But his ability and willingness to play anywhere has made him one of the club’s most reliable assets.
They need a left-footed forward? Shea to the rescue. He scored four goals in 13 games last season and has two this season, including a 90th-minute game-winner on the road against Cincinnati.
Need height in the box on set pieces? 6-3 Shea is happy to help.
Need a left back? Shea can do that, too. He saved a Portland goal last Sunday with a world-class tackle in the box.
Thursday morning at practice, Neville turned to 31-year-old Shea and told him he might need him to step in at center back because Christian Makoun is away with the Venezuelan national team and Nico Figal has a calf injury.
The journeyman nodded and gave his trademark answer: “No problem.”
That attitude is a key reason the Texan has lasted more than a decade in MLS and spent a few seasons in England with Stoke City, Barnsley and Birmingham City. He played 34 games for the U.S. national team from 2010 to 2015, scoring winning goals against Costa Rica and Panama in the 2013 Gold Cup.
“He’s the player that causes me the least amount of … [pause] … problems, because he never comes to see me,” Neville said. “He just gets on with playing football. Never bangs my door down. Says good morning to me every day. Always has a smile on his face.
“There’s no histrionics. He’s just a throwback to that player that I grew up with that just wanted to play football, just comes in every day, works his hardest and then goes home and recovers for the next day. His mood doesn’t change from when you leave him out to when he plays. He’s highly popular within the dressing room. Why? Because he’s a real team player. Every football club in the world needs people like Brek Shea. He’s a joy, a dream player to manage.”
Shea is always among the first to sprint over to congratulate teammates when they score. His value has not been lost on the fans. He said he was surprised to be recognized at Home Depot the other day.
The transition to South Florida was easy because Shea’s wife’s family lives in Delray Beach, so they spent Thanksgivings and offseasons there. His wife is former tennis player Carling Seguso, the daughter of former tennis stars Carling Bassett and Robert Seguso.
Shea and Seguso met while training at the IMG Academy in Bradenton. They have three children — Phoenix (6), Zeppelin (4) and Raine (3).
“I try to come in and be happy and try to keep everyone positive, if we’re doing well or not doing well,” Shea said. “At the end of the day, I love what I do. I get to come to work and then go home and see my family, so if I have a bad day at work, we lose a game, as mad as I am, I go home and see my kids. I guess, in the end, there’s bigger things in life than [the game].”
“You need short-term memory in this game sometimes, in any sport. You need to keep the highs a little lower and the lows a little higher.”
Injury Update: Figal (right calf strain), midfielder Victor Ulloa (right quad strain), left back Kieran Gibbs (left hamstring strain) and midfielder Gregore (head) are listed as “day to day” on the injury report. Gregore and Ulloa practiced Thursday morning, Figal and Gibbs did not.
If the team falls below 16 fit field players, it could petition the league to bring up a few of its Fort Lauderdale USL players under the “Extreme Hardship” rule. But it seems that is unlikely.
“We’re hoping that two take us closer to the 16 field players we need,” Neville said. “The hardship rule is there. We know it’s going to be hard for us to implement the hardship rule. We looked into it a couple of weeks ago and there’s big obstacles and barriers for Inter Miami to do that. But to go to New York without those four players is a tough, tough ask.”
Neville is hopeful at least a few of the starters will be recovered enough to make the trip. He said Gregore has the best chance to play, and the other three were “70-30 against”.
This story was originally published October 7, 2021 at 4:54 PM with the headline "Brek Shea, one of Inter Miami’s lowest-paid players, has proven invaluable. Here’s why."