Danny Leyva first joined the Sounders Academy as a 13-year-old, making the move from Las Vegas. He eventually became the youngest player to ever sign with the first team and made his MLS debut at just 15 years old.
Since then, his career has gone through some ups and downs but he seemed to have a breakthrough last year and was poised for a big season in 2026. Instead, the Sounders got a transfer offer from Liga MX's Club Necaxa that made sense for all parties.
Now in Mexico, where both of his parents are from, Leyva has started 5 of 6 games this year and looks very likely to set a career high for minutes played.
Niko Moreno caught up with Leyva for this interview; you can listen or watch and we've transcribed some of the highlights:
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Just for starters, how are you? How has this new scenery, this new club been? What can you tell us about all that?
I'm good. Enjoying every moment. Obviously, it's always different when you move to a different country, to a new league, to adapt to the different styles of play and everything. I'm enjoying every second of it. I think I had a good preparation leading up to the start of the league. I came here early, in December, to do the full preseason. I've been enjoying it a lot, learning a lot of new things as well, because, you know, the league is different, the stadiums, everything
How would you describe the culture shock? You've been an academy kid for the Sounders, a first-team player for the Sounders. It's all been in one club. One system, one methodology, one group of coaches. How has that been?
My time in Seattle is very consistent. I think the mentality, the culture was always, the desire to win. The coaching staff was pretty much the same throughout my time there. I started with Gonzalo Pineda, with Djimi Traore, Schmetzer was there and he's been there all through these years. With Freddy Juarez and Andy [Rose] and Preki, they've all helped me grown a lot. It's been different. It's been good to join a new place, to learn new things. Obviously, with the new coaching staff here, we're learning a lot of new ideas, new concepts, new styles that we want to try out and are implementing in our game.
I think it's helped me grow. I think it's always hard to make a change, especially coming up through the Academy and Seattle and after they've given me everything. I think change can also bring positive growth. I'm learning a lot. I'm enjoying it. I'm also working hard at it to make the most out of my time here and every opportunity I get.
I did want to ask you a tough one, and it's obviously part of that transition. It kind of felt like this season it was Danny Leyva-time with the Sounders. If there was ever a time that was going to be, it was this one, right? There was an opening for you to be the man at center midfield. Did that give you any mixed feelings about when you were here. When it was your time, you're moving somewhere else.
Honestly, like you said, mixed feelings. But at the same time, I think my idea was always very clear. I always worked hard in training, and my idea was to play, to be a starter and, an influence whatever role I had. Maybe this year would have been a little bit different. Until the things actually happen, it's kind of hard to see if they actually pan out that way. My mentality was always like I said.
Maybe these past two years when I wasn't playing a lot, was that for me, it was always to be better than I was yesterday. If I wasn't playing in the games, then my games were the training sessions. I think that was always my mentality. I think the past year was a great year, not only for me individually, especially with Leagues Cup I think it helped me grow a lot and mature a lot as a professional.
When this opportunity came up, I think it was also something that I wanted to do. I grew up watching a lot of Liga MX, and I think it's somewhere you can learn a lot of new things, where there's a lot of talent, there's a lot of good players individually. Tactically it's very good. The league is very competitive.
Every game is a final, and they treat it that way. It was a good decision. I'm enjoying every second of it here. I've always told everyone that Seattle for me is home. They helped me grow from the 14-year-old that I was all the way to the person I am now, the professional I am now. I'm forever grateful.
How was that final conversation with Brian Schmetzer?
I know everyone at the club. Brian has always been very supportive of me. He's always been someone that tells you things straightforward. When the opportunity came up, he basically just told me that whatever I decide, I had his support.
Nothing else to say but good things that I was prepared myself and the best way possible. I was always trying to help the team out, whether I was playing or not. And that was going to help me, take me far in my career. I think if I maintain that discipline, that mentality and a that confidence in myself, that was the most important thing.
How would you compare MLS and Liga MX?
I think it's in a sense really similar. MLS is a bit more direct in terms of the physicality; a lot of counter-attacks, a lot of back and forth. Here maybe is not as quick, but physically the level is very high, technically is very high. The players are very smart and tactically, teams are really solid.
I think there's a lot of more decision-making going into into every play, into every, every game plan. The quality is very high, the competition is very high. The pressure here and is nonstop.
What's the atmosphere like at Necaxa?
The support here and in the city, it's amazing. We saw in all our home games this, this season that the people support. They demand results. They demand that the team plays an attractive style of soccer. I think the fans are amazing. They support the good moments and the bad moments. But the most important thing is that they stick together. I've been very surprised and very happy with it too, because when you have the fans, they motivate you to want to get better to to perform for them.
The people do recognize you when you go out. And culture wise, I think it's very similar. I think, like I said, I grew up and my parents are from Mexico City, so we grew up with that Mexican culture. I think that's a big part of my life and how I am and how I was raised to treat other people with respect, to have that sense of community and very close with my family. The culture is very rich, the people are very friendly, people are very family oriented.
The life is very calm, easygoing, very family oriented. For me, that's perfect. Somehwere I can enjoy the city, I can go out and and be with my family, maybe go out for a walk or something. And also it gives me time to focus on the soccer and what I love to do.
The festival is here that it's going to happen soon in the summer is good as well. Culture-wise it's amazing. I'm enjoying it a lot because I know when I was younger, I used to come visit Mexico City, especially with my grandparents, my aunts, my cousins and everyone.
Now, being able to live over here and be closer to them is something that I've always wanted to do. It gives me great happiness as well.
What would you say to those fans here from the Sounders community?
Just a big thank you to the club, first of all, because they believed in me when I was a young little kid. They gave me the opportunity and the platform and the atmosphere to grow and to to make my dream possible.
I'm privileged to be able to have worn the jersey, to represent the city, to represent the fans which I think are the best in MLS. It's tough always to say goodbye, but there's always opportunities down the road that that keeps us connected.
Like everyone says, once a Sounder, always a Sounder. That's real. I feel it that way because, I felt the jersey I played every game with my heart and the passion that I had towards the club. Just a big thank you to everyone. I'm still keeping up with you guys. I will always keep you guys in my heart.
There's always opportunities to reunite, whether that's in football or outside in the city. Like I said, my sister's still over there playing with University of Washington, so there's always those connections. It's my home. I grew up there, I learned a lot there, I matured.
