Golden Jaguars’ player Curtez Kellman has signed a one-year contract with United States of America football team, Kansas City II, and will play in the newly-formed MLS NEXT Pro League.
The 23-year-old was on a scholarship at a College in the USA where he was reading for a degree in Business Administration, until the Alex Bunbury Sport and Academic Academy recently offered him a try-out.
It was successful as he signed Tuesday with the club which was a moment of relief, and to him, an affirmative step to eventually playing professionally in Europe.
Locally, Kellman has played for the Georgetown Football Club and Western Tigers Football Club, and the defensive mid-fielder has represented his beloved Golden Jaguars in one match to date- against Indonesia- despite being a regular ‘traveller.’
“This is just the start of something great and hopefully, I perform at my best,” he told News Room Sport, just after securing the deal.
Opportunities like this have come in the past for other players, some of whom were unsuccessful, but Kellman stated he went in with the mentality that he would do well and make the final cut despite the “last minute” try-out.
Additionally, the professional system will do wonders for his development, and should he excel, he is conscious he can potentially be in the reckoning for a first-team spot.
The humble lad from the suburbs of South Georgetown knows he can use this platform to inspire other young footballers who may be frustrated that opportunities to progress are minimal.
“I have been thinking I won’t get an opportunity, but everything happens at the right and here I am today with an opportunity. So stay working hard with a professional mindset and ensure that you are in good shape so you grab with both hands when the opportunity arises,” Kellman encouraged.
MLS Next Pro is a Men’s professional soccer league in the United States and Canada that is affiliated with Major League Soccer. It has 21 teams, of which 20 are reserve sides for MLS clubs and the independent Rochester New York FC.
