The Future Is Bright for Griffin Garnett

While it’s only February, Griffin Garnett is already having one heck of a year.

In January, Garnett was selected by U.S. Soccer for its U-20, U-19 and U-18 Men’s National training camp.

Then, less than a month later, the 19-year-old defender completed a transfer from his hometown Richmond Kickers to Hungarian club Ferencvárosi TC for a USL League One record six-figure fee.

Now, with his star on the rise after becoming the Kickers’ first direct outbound transfer to a European club, it’s no wonder Garnett is excited to see what else 2026 has in store for him.

“It’s such a different game over there,” Garnett said of the cauldron that is European football. “People literally live and breathe soccer. Everything is ramped up a notch and everything is analyzed. (T)o be in an atmosphere like they have at the stadium is a crazy feeling, so I hope I’ll be on the field as soon as possible.”

Working to Continuously Improve

While the pitch measurements are the same in Budapest as they are in Richmond, the transition to top-flight European football from USL One will probably feel a little different. In addition to multiple steps up in competition, Garnett must also adjust to a new country with a different culture and difficult language, in a city legendary for its nightlife. 

“Professionally, I just need to keep focused and make sure I don’t let the noise get to me,” Garnett said. “I need to stick with what I’ve been doing and keep my routines the same. I’ve definitely seen a different level of play (in Europe) so I know that I can improve in a lot of areas and I can’t be scared to admit that. That’s the only way to get better.”

Founded in 1899, the “Green Eagles” are one of the most popular and successful clubs in Hungary, winning the top-flight Nemzeti Bajnokság I a record 36 times while becoming the first league club reach the Group stage of the UEFA Champions League appearances, most recently in 2020-21.

Managed by Premier League legend Robbie Keane, Ferencvárosi is currently in the Europa League playoffs and stands in 2^nd place in the Nemzeti Bajnokság I table.

“Personally, it’s obviously going to be a big change,” said Garnett, who trained with the club for 3 ½ weeks before his transfer was completed. “It’s definitely a bit of a culture shock and I’ll need to adjust. Living on my own in a massive city like Budapest will be a big change for me. And the language is unbelievably hard. 

“But I’ll be at the facility training the whole time. I’m just going to put my head down for a while and grind it out, not even think about the other distractions.”

Once a Kicker, Always a Kicker

The transfer marks the latest point in Garnett’s meteoric rise. The Kickers originally signed the Trinity Episcopal School product to an academy contract in 2023. That was the first time Garnett believed a professional career could be in the offing.

“I’d seen other academy guys (go pro), so I knew that it was a legitimate possibility,” he admitted. “I also realized that I could hang at that level. That’s kind of when I thought that this pro soccer thing could be real.”

Not only real, but real successful. Since signing his first pro contract in August 2024 at age 17, Garnett had been a consistent presence in the Kickers’ backline.  He was nominated for the League One Young Player of the Year award in 2024 and logged 101 recoveries, 32 interceptions, 174 clearances and 22 blocked shots while winning 117 duels at a 56.2 percent success rate and 37 tackles at a 63.8 percent success rate.

But, to Garnett, his memories of playing in Richmond aren’t about the stats; it’s the feeling of playing in front of a packed house at City Stadium before family and friends that Garnett will remember as his career progresses. 

“(My debut) was such a special moment for me and it’s something I’ll never forget,” he said. “I also really enjoyed the playoff run we made at the end of 2024 when we started to find our rhythm, and my favorite game was beating Madison in July 2024 when Chandler scored that last minute header. But every day was a big moment for me and a great opportunity to learn from great coaches and players.”

It’s that pride that will help carry him as he adapts his game overseas.

“It means so much to be representing Richmond internationally. It was a group effort to get me to where I am, so now I just hope that I can represent Richmond well and I’ll make sure I do everything I can to do that.”

And how would he like to be remembered by Kickers fans? The teenager paused for a bit then joked about the ultimate “tribute”.

“I think I’d want the Jumbotron named after me because why not,” he laughed. “The ‘Griffin Jumbotron.’ Sounds like a cool name.”