After initially having mixed emotions, Kenny Cooper has now embraced his move from Portland Timbers to New York Red Bulls.

The former Manchester United youth academy striker, who has also spent time with FC Dallas and 1860 Munich, spent one season with the Timbers before he was traded to the Red Bulls where he will now vie for a starting spot with the likes of Thierry Henry, Juan Agudelo and Luke Rodgers.

27-year old Cooper admits it was a bit of a shock to move on so quickly, especially as the news came around the time of his wedding, but is now excited about the challenge ahead of him.

"It was a lot happening, obviously getting married," he told MLSsoccer.com. "We had a great honeymoon, but I think my wife and I had a lot of mixed emotions.

"We had a great time in Portland, loved it there. It was an honor to be a part of their inaugural season in MLS and we will look back with a lot of fond memories.

"But I am really excited to be here with a team with a lot of talent.

"I'm certainly hungry to play and train. I'm happy to be here and my mindset is to work hard. I want to make positive contributions to the team."

And Cooper said it will be a great experience to share a dressing room with the likes of Henry and Rafael Marquez.

"Thierry, Rafa - they've obviously had incredible careers. I'm big fans of both of them," he added.

"To train with both of these guys on a daily basis - along with a lot of these other guys in there - there's a lot of talent in that locker room."

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