Zeiko Lewis is a free agent after being released by New York Red Bulls without making an appearance in Major League Soccer.

Lewis was unable to make an impact at the club, having been sent on loan to their reserve side, the New York Red Bulls II, soon after joining them.

The Bermuda forward, who is among ten players let go by Red Bulls, tweeted on Monday: “Thank you Red Bulls and all the fans for their support over the year. Wish you the best in the future.”

Lewis attracted plenty of attention at the MLS SuperDraft, held at the Los Angeles Convention Centre in January, with his cocksure comments after being drafted as the seventeenth overall pick.

The 23-year-old said he was disappointed not to have been taken higher in the draft and “vowed to prove everybody wrong”. He had been touted as a possible top-ten choice in the week leading up to the event.

“I didn’t feel dissed by any club that didn’t pick me,” Lewis said after being selected.

“I’m not gonna lose sleep over it at the end of the day. But it’s definitely encouraging for me to see other clubs pass up on me because when I play them, they’re gonna look at the scoreboard and they’ll know they made the wrong decision.

“I’d like to thank the New York Red Bulls for drafting me and glad they had faith in me. At least somebody at this draft does, so I encourage everybody else to keep their head up.”

Lewis, however, was not named in the Red Bulls’ 30-man squad and was instead selected in the unofficial 31st spot: the season-long loan of one player to a USL affiliate. With Red Bulls close to filling their allocation for international players, Lewis was sacrificed to bring “roster and budget relief” for the team.

Lewis made a flying start to the season, scoring on his debut in Red Bulls II’s opening game of the season, a 1-0 win at home to Richmond Kickers.

He also scored in his side’s 2-2 draw away to Ottawa Fury in April — but was limited to just 14 starts for Red Bulls II, making a further nine appearances from the substitutes’ bench.

The former Young Men’s Social Club player became the third member of his family, behind grandfather Fred “Pinks” Lewis and great-uncle Eversley “Bo” Lewis, to turn professional. Lewis, who became the second Bermudian to join the Red Bulls, after Khano Smith, enjoyed a successful collegiate career, earning All-Atlantic Coast Conference accolades in all four seasons at Boston College.