MetroFanatic: In your youth, you were an icon for this club's most hated rival, then you come back from Europe and knock one of our better teams out of the playoffs. You're also a Philly native; please reassure me that you're not a sleeper agent sent to destroy us from within.
Bobby Convey: Ha ha, yeah! No, really, part of the reason I wanted to come here was because I've always had good performances when I've played against this team; I figured I could do the same FOR them and maybe convince some of those fans to cheer for me!

MF: In light of all that, do you anticipate any difficulties starting a new relationship with the notoriously salty Metro fans?
BC: I hope not! Now that I'm on their team, I'd like to think there wouldn't be any reason to boo me.

MF: We noticed that you asked to be traded here because you wanted to join a winning team close to home. Did you mean to imply that your hometown team isn't a winning organization?
BC: It's not that they can't be a winning organization, but they're a little less organized than they are here. The Red Bulls are driven, they have the goal of winning the title every year, and the Union are still a work in progress. At this point in my career, after fifteen years, I can't spend the rest of it on a "work in progress" team. I need to be on a team that does whatever it takes to win.

MF: That being said, "winning" is a very new thing for this team. Are you afraid that coming here might have been a bit of a gamble?
BC: Well, back in the days of the MetroStars, the guys in charge weren't really putting much money into the team. Now it seems like everything's being taken care of financially, they hate losing around here and they'll invest in new players if they have to in order to be successful. It's totally different from how it used to be, and I think everyone can feel it.

MF: You're only 30, and it's funny to address you as some grizzled old man...
BC: Yeah, everyone does!

MF: But the truth is, you started in this league when it was small potatoes and it's grown significantly since then.
BC: It's excellent now, everything has come so far from the days when you weren't sure if the league was going to make it. It seems like there are three or four cities every year that are bidding for a new team. When I started, they had just finished retracting two teams, and one owner was in control of something like seven out of the remaining ten. It's unbelievable just going from playing in Giants Stadium to Red Bull Arena. You probably grew up watching football or basketball, but now there's a generation that's growing up watching soccer and it's going to continue the growth of this sport.

MF: How have things gone so far in the preseason, and what are your expectations for this year?
BC: It's been good getting to know everyone, I played against a few guys when I was in England and we knew each other a little from that experience, so that made the transition a little easier. My previous relationship with Mike (Petke) obviously makes things easier as well. I'm at a later stage in my career and I just want to play as much as I can and enjoy my time here, I'll do whatever Mike asks of me. How could you not enjoy playing in front of these fans in this stadium?

MF: We appreciate all the nice things you've said about the team, but how worried are you about the reception you'll get the first time you go to PPL Park this season?
BC: Yeah, it'll be interesting! Look, it's not that I have anything against Philadelphia, it's just that this is the better fit for where I am in my career. We'll see how it goes when I get there, but they've always been respectful of me and I appreciate that.