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24 million Americans play soccer. But only a small number of them hail from Europe, start with American college soccer clubs, and return to conquer the European arena. These people paired their education with sports and can write academic essays as proficient as essay help websites. Let’s take a look at the curious stories of the 5 European soccer stars who played college soccer in the U.S.
Shaka Hislop
Born in London, Neil Shaka Hislop was raised in his parent's native country Trinidad and Tobago. Shaka entered Howard University in Washington DC and played for the local team Bison as a goalkeeper. He was a driving point of this team when it reached NCAA final. During his studies, Shaka was a pro essay writer, successfully graduated from Howard, and even interned at NASA.
Eventually, Shaka was noticed by Reading. This acquisition became crucial for this British Club, as Shaka led it to glory. While his soccer career peaked, Shaka managed to honor both England and Trinidad and Tobago, his native counties, as their player. In 2006 Hislop represented the country of his parents at its first World Cup match, preventing their Sweden opponents from scoring any goals. He later calls it the proudest moment of his career.
Dom Dwyer
Dominic was born in England as well. There he started his soccer career while playing for King's Lynn Football Club. During this period, he broke his right foot three times, and received heartbreaking news, that it will be impossible for him to professionally play soccer from now on. While giving up on his soccer dream, Dominic got a sports scholarship invitation from Soccer Icon USA that promised him free education in America.
But fate would have a brighter future than he’d hoped. And while attending Tyler Junior College in Texas, Dominic became the national junior soccer college player. After that, he joins the University of South Florida. In 2017 he receives American citizenry and joins the U.S. men’s national team for the Gold Cup. His foot injury had no say in Dom’s professional soccer career.
Vedad Ibišević
Running from the Yugoslavian war, a 17-year-old Vedad and his family settled in the U.S. town of St. Louis. His soccer career began at Roosevelt High School and he soon became one of the most promising American soccer recruits. While playing on the college soccer team for St. Louis University, he lit up the stadium scoreboard with 18 goals in 22 games. This draws the attention of his former compatriot manager for Paris Saint-Germain, Vahid Halilhodžić, who signs him up for a French team. And thus, begins Vedad’s European soccer career.
Ibišević played for French and German clubs and also brought several rewards to his native Bosnia. In 2014 he made this country enter its first major tournament, FIFA World Cup, and scored the first goal for it.
Neven Subotić
Another Bosnian player on the list, Subotić also had to endure a migration from his war-ravaged country. His family settled in Berlin first, but then they had to move further, into the United States. In Bradenton, Florida, which is also the base for U-17, Subotić was noticed by the USMNT coach, and his soccer career began. While playing as a part of the U-17 team in Europe, he was noticed by a German club Mainz 05 which brought him to Bundesliga. This is where he spent the majority of his career.
Similar to Ibišević and Hislop, Subotić honored his family’s native country by representing Serbia in FIFA World Cup in 2010.
Jack Harrison
Is an English winger for Leeds United. But what sets him apart from other Premier League players is his path of education that goes through Berkshire School in Massachusetts. Jack’s mother Debbie made a fateful decision to send her 14-year-old son to study in America. This step was highly counter-intuitive to all soccer career logic because in England he trained with Manchester United at the time. But in the end, this was what made Harrison one of the best players in his league.
Being a soft and hard-working person by nature, young Jack couldn’t strive on the training grounds of Manchester United where everyone is a pro. But during his 6-year education in the U.S. he was able to grow his soccer talents in a favorable environment. In 2016 he won the #1 overall pick in MLS SuperDraft and became the second-best player among his peers. When Jack returned to Europe, he became a part of Leeds United’s breakthrough into the Premier League. Which happened for the first time in a decade. Jack Harrison is the only Premier League player whose career roots lie in American college soccer.
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Final Words
These personal accounts of European soccer stars inspire fans all over the world. Be they Americans who play college soccer, or Europeans, who seek education in the U.S. In the end, these 5 people show us an example of cosmopolitan professionalism and fidelity to their roots.
