Mikkel Morgenstar Pålssønn “Mix” Diskerud has an important place in New York City FC’s history and was once thought of as an exciting and promising player that could lead New York City teams for a while. Diskerud will always have a spot in the club’s history as he scored the team’s first-ever goal in MLS play in their first game against Orlando City SC. Mix only wound up spending two seasons with the club and he only ever scored three more goals with the club after his historic first. After his departure from the club, he has bounced around different countries and really hasn’t been able to find a permanent landing spot.
2017 Season
Diskerud’s departure from the club got off to an odd start as the club announced on March 2, 2017, that they had bought him out of his contract, but three days later it was discovered that he was still with the club as they had not released him. A little over a week later it was announced that Diskerud had been loaned out to the Swedish side IFK Göteborg. In 2017, Göteborg competed in the Allsvenskan which is Sweden’s highest soccer league. Mix actually found success in Sweden while he was on loan as he scored 5 goals and had 4 assists as he started 29 of the club’s 30 matches. He usually played as a defensive midfielder for the club, but also played some games on the right-wing which varied from the role he had with New York City. The only game Mix did not start that season, he missed due to a yellow card suspension. Göteborg finished 10th in the Allsvenskan that season and Mix’s loan ended after the season in December of 2017.
2018 Season
After Mix’s loan in Sweden ended he joined Manchester City FC’s Under-23 side on a free transfer from New York City. Less than a month after his signing in England, he was loaned right back out to Göteborg in Sweden for six months. He retained his spot in the club’s starting eleven as he started 12 straight games for the club and only missed his last game in Sweden due to yellow card accumulation. In those 12 games, Mix scored twice and assisted once as he returned back to the central midfield role. Göteborg wound up finishing 11th in the Allsvenskan and avoided relegation by 5 points. He also scored twice in the Svenska Cupen, Sweden’s top cup competition where the winner plays in the Europa League, where Göteborg made it all the way to the quarterfinals until they eventually lost to Swedish powerhouse Malmö FF. Mix returned to Man City’s U-23s in July of 2018.
Second Half of 2018
Just two days after he returned to England, Mix signed a year and a half long loan with South Korean club Ulsan Hyundai FC. Ulsan play in K League 1, South Korea’s top soccer league, and Mix started in 12 of his first 14 games with the club where he scored twice including a go-ahead goal against Jeju United FC. After 33 games in the K League, the league splits into two groups, the top six teams, and the bottom six teams. Ulsan finished in second place after the first thirty-three games earning them a spot in the top-six group. Diskerud started in four of the final five games but failed to score and Ulsan finished the season in third place and qualified for the AFC Champions League playoffs.
2019 Season
In that playoff game for Ulsan, Mix scored two goals against Malaysian side Perak FA in what turned out to be a 5-1 rout for Ulsan that booked their spot in that year’s Asian Champions League. Ulsan would go on to finish at the top of their group and advance to the round of 16. Mix scored once and assisted once in the group stage including scoring the decisive goal in a 1-0 win against Sydney FC. Mix also started all but one game in the group stage including in a win against Shanghai SIPG FC which featured the likes of former Premier League standouts Oscar and Hulk. Ulsan wound being knocked out in the round of 16 after suffering a 3-0 defeat in the second leg against eventual runners-up Urawa Red Diamonds. In the first phase of the K League that season, Mix scored five goals and had two assists in 27 starts for the club. Ulsan finished at the top of the league after the first 33 games and thus was once again playing against the top six for the final games. Mix did score in one of those final games and started in four of the five. However, he was left out of the squad for the final game where Ulsan could have won the league with a draw, but instead lost 4-1 to the Pohang Steelers and finished second to Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors FC for the second consecutive season. Mix’s loan in South Korea came to an end on New Year’s Eve 2019.
2020/Current Season
Mix spent some more time in England after this loan as compared to past times, but he did not appear in a game for Manchester City’s U-23s in Premier League 2 nor in their lone game in the EFL Trophy. He was eventually loaned out again on June 13, 2020, and this time it was back to Sweden. However, he now plays for Helsingborgs IF in Sweden who is currently playing in the Allsvenskan after being promoted thereafter the 2018 season. This season’s Allsvenskan was scheduled to begin in April but was pushed back to begin in June due to COVID-19. Since the restart, Helsingborgs have only played 9 games, but Mix has appeared in eight of them and started seven. Diskerud has yet to score this season, but there is plenty of time left for that. Mix has certainly bounced around since his time here in New York and has not truly found a true home. While he may not have been the best while with the club, he will always hold a special place in the hearts of the club’s fans and it will certainly be interesting to see where he will wind up next.