---

FOXBORO - New England Revolution defender Jay Heaps announced his retirement from professional soccer on Wednesday. Heaps, born in Nashua, N.H., and raised in Longmeadow, retires after 11 seasons playing in Major League Soccer, first with the Miami Fusion (1999-2001) where he was the 1999 MLS Rookie of the Year, and closing his career with his hometown New England Revolution (2001-09) with whom he earned his first-ever appearances with the U.S. Men's National Team during the summer of 2009.

"Jay Heaps has been the heart and soul of the Revolution during his time with us," Revolution Investor/Operator Robert K. Kraft said. "Not only has he been an outstanding and consistent performer on the field, he's been a true champion off the field in the community, as well. We will miss him running out on the field each weekend, but wish him the best in his future endeavors."

"Jay has been a tremendous asset to our organization," Revolution Investor/Operator Jonathan A. Kraft said. "When you own a team, you want more players like Jay - guys who give everything on the field, and are invested in the community off the field. He's been an outstanding ambassador for the Revolution, and we're going to miss him being around."

He is one of three Revs players to start all four of the Revolution's MLS Cup appearances (2002, 2005, 2006 and 2007). Heaps also won the 2007 U.S. Open Cup and the 2008 SuperLiga trophies with the Revolution.

"Since he arrived in New England in 2001, Jay has personified what it means to play for the Revolution," Revolution Vice President of Player Personnel Michael Burns said. "You always knew what you would get from Jay: all-out effort and determination. He always played with a tremendous competitive spirit, unwavering heart and desire to compete. Jay has been a committed leader on and off the field, and has demonstrated exceptional professionalism while representing the Revolution. We are going to miss him around the locker room every day, but wish him nothing but the best as he moves on to other endeavors," Burns continued. Heaps, 33, closes his playing career as the club's all-time leader in games played (243), starts (238) and minutes played (21,619) and ranks fifth on the Revs' career assist chart (26). He also scored nine goals with the Revs. Heaps is the only member of the Revolution to play more than 20,000 minutes for the club and holds the distinction of being the longest-tenured Revolution player ever.

At the league level, Heaps also finishes his career ranked eighth all-time in MLS in games played (314), fourth in starts (299) and third in minutes played (27,363). He closes his playing career with 17 goals and 34 assists.

"I can't imagine writing out a team sheet next year without Jay's name on it," Revolution head coach Steve Nicol said. "As a coach, you can't ask for a better all-around person than Jay. He leaves everything he has on the field every game and every training session, and then goes back in the locker room and is a stand-out leader. You want younger players to see the example Jay has set and follow it. He's had an outstanding career for us, and we'll miss his presence around the team."

Heaps began his MLS career in 1999 with the Miami Fusion when he was drafted second overall in the 1999 MLS College Draft out of Duke University. He earned 1999 MLS rookie of the year honors after leading all first-year players in minutes while scoring three goals and adding one assist. A midfielder while with the Fusion, Heaps scored a career-high five goals and added six assists as a second-year player in 2000, earning MLS All-Star honors.

In 2001, Heaps was traded to his hometown Revolution on June 20, where he would go on to set the club's three longevity records - games played, starts and minutes played - in eight-and-a-half years with the club.

With the Revolution, Heaps transformed from an attack-minded outside midfielder to a defender, where he played the final eight years of his career. His athleticism and versatility allowed him to play every position across the back, including right and left back in a 3-5-2 formation, and left back, right back and center back in a 4-4-2 alignment.

Heaps started every match for which he was available in the last five years of his career, anchoring one of the most consistent defenses in MLS.

Defined throughout his career by a rugged determination and dedicated team-first mentality, Heaps made at least 27 regular-season appearances in each of his 11 professional seasons. Despite his physical playing style and unquestionably fearless nature, Heaps missed just three games because of injury during eight-and-a-half seasons with the Revolution, making him one of the most reliable players in MLS history.

Perhaps one of the most memorable games of Heaps' illustrious career occurred in his final season, on June 7, 2009. Honored in an on-field ceremony prior to the game for becoming the ninth player in league history to make 300 career appearances - and also wearing the captain's armband in honor of the achievement - Heaps scored the game-winning goal and added an assist in a 4-0 win over the New York Red Bulls at Gillette Stadium.

The quintessential team player, Heaps shared the spotlight that night with fellow teammates Taylor Twellman, who scored his 100th career goal, and Matt Reis, who recorded his 50th career shutout. Heaps' goal that evening proved to be the last regular-season tally of his career. Giving credence to the saying that many improve with age, Heaps had perhaps the best seasons of his career as a defender in his final professional years. Honored as the Revolution's defender of the year for the first time in 2009, Heaps was rewarded for his stellar play with a call-up to the U.S. National Team for the 2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup.

After earning his first-ever cap on July 11 in a 2-2 draw with Haiti in front of his hometown fans at Gillette Stadium, he proceeded to play every minute of the quarterfinal win over Panama and the semifinal victory over Honduras, before starting the final against Mexico. They were the only four international appearances of Heaps' career, a just reward for one of the most consistent American players in recent memory.

Heaps played collegiately at Duke where he won the 1998 Missouri Athletic Club Award as national player of the year. He was a three-time finalist for the Hermann Trophy and was a four-time first-team All-ACC selection and four-time all-region choice. He left Duke's program ranked third in career goals (45), fourth in career assists (37) and tied for second in career points (127). In addition to earning Soccer America's national freshman of the year honors in 1995, Heaps also played three-and-a-half years of basketball at Duke before leaving midway through his senior year to pursue his professional soccer career. He was named one of Duke's "Top 10 Devils of the Decade" by the Duke Chronicle.

He is also a former member of the U.S. Under-17 and Under-20 National Teams.

While Heaps is retiring from the Revolution's playing field, he will continue to be involved with the organization in some capacity. Once he has settled into his post-playing career, Heaps and the Revolution will create a role within the organization to allow him to continue to be an ambassador for the club.