John Tolkin

John Michael Tolkin (born July 31, 2002), nicknamed "JMi", is an American professional soccer player who plays as a left-back for club Holstein Kiel and the United States national team. He competed for the United States at the 2024 Summer Olympics.

Club career

Early career Tolkin was raised in Chatham Borough, New Jersey, where he attended Chatham High School. Tolkin joined the New York Red Bulls Academy in 2015. During the 2019 USL Championship season he appeared for New York Red Bulls II. He made his professional debut on July 10, 2019, coming on as a second-half substitute in a 4–3 victory over Bethlehem Steel. During the match, he recorded his first professional assist on Tom Barlow's equalizer in the 82nd minute.

New York Red Bulls After appearing for New York Red Bulls II in 2019, Tolkin moved up to the club's MLS roster on January 14, 2020. Tolkin made his MLS debut on May 8, 2021, appearing as a substitute against Toronto FC in a 2–0 victory. On May 29, 2021, Tolkin made his first start for the club in a 2–1 victory over Orlando City SC, earning praise for his play during the match. Tolkin scored his first professional goal on August 18, 2021, in a 1–0 win against the Columbus Crew.

On May 10, 2022, Tolkin scored his first goal of the season for New York in a 3–0 victory over DC United, helping his club advance to the round of 16 in the 2022 U.S. Open Cup. On August 18, 2022, Tolkin helped New York to a 2–1 victory over Atlanta United scoring the deciding goal. On October 5, 2022, Tolkin signed a new contract with New York tying him to the club until 2027, with an option for 2028 On November 18, 2022, Tolkin was named New York Red Bulls Defender of the Year for the 2022 season.

On August 20, 2023, Tolkin scored his first goal of the season for New York, an 88th-minute free kick, to help his club to a 1–0 victory over rival DC United. On October 21, 2023, Tolkin scored from the penalty spot in stoppage time to lead New York to a 1–0 victory over Nashville SC. With this win the club qualified for the MLS Cup Playoffs for a record 14 straight seasons. On October 25, 2023, Tolkin scored on a freekick and assisted on two other goals for New York in a 5–2 victory over Charlotte FC, helping his club advance to the first round of the 2023 MLS Cup Playoffs.

On 1 June 2024, Tolkin made his 100th league appearance for New York, a match in which he scored on a free kick in a 1–0 victory over Orlando City SC. On 30 November 2024, Tolkin assisted Andrés Reyes on his headed set piece goal against Orlando City SC, sending the Red Bulls to MLS Cup 2024 in a 1–0 victory, where they went on to lose 2-1 to the LA Galaxy.

Holstein Kiel On January 16, 2025, Tolkin transferred to Bundesliga club Holstein Kiel for a transfer fee of $3 million including a sell on fee. A day after the signing, due to outcry from some fans, the club released a statement in which Tolkin distanced himself again from his controversial social media likes, maintaining they are incompatible with his personal values and that he respects all people. Tolkin had previously liked social media posts mocking the LGBTQ community, critical of the response to the COVID-19 pandemic, questioning the existence of gravity and the January 6 United States Capitol attack and supporting flat Earth beliefs. Tolkin had also previously apologized for the behavior in a CBS Golazo interview during the 2024 Olympic games.

Tolkin made his debut for Holstein Kiel, when he came on in the 79th-minute for Dominik Javorček in a 2–2 draw with VfL Wolfsburg on January 24.

Personal life Tolkin's uncle gave him the nickname "JMi" when he was young, and his teammates and family refer to him as "JMi". He says he does not answer to "John".

Career statistics

Club

International

Honors Individual MLS All-Star: 2023