Odell Beckham Jr. Could’ve Played For MLS/USMNT
Rising NFL star, Odell Beckham Jr. could have played in MLS. Unfortunately, when he was growing up in New Orleans, not only was there a lack of MLS clubs around the area, there was also a huge commitment that a young Beckham Jr. had to make. Imagine if he had chosen to stick with soccer and what he would bring to MLS.
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The story of Beckham Jr. choosing to give up on his soccer dream comes while he was just a boy. Beckham Jr. claims he received an invitation to join the United States national team program at 14. Like many who have gone through the same process as Beckham Jr. it is known that the time commitment and travel plays a huge part of choosing to be a part of the program. Especially with moving to Europe as part of the deal.
Being just 14 and thinking about moving to a new country can either make or break a person. Beckham Jr. chose to stay stateside and just play football and soccer where he felt comfortable. “At such a young age it’s hard to just leave your family and say I’m gong to go to Europe and do my thing.”
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“It’s just so much for a young kid to have to decide that. You’d have to leave your family. But I always played in the premiere leagues. I was 11 playing U-14, stuff like that. I was always playing up.”
Even if little is known about Beckham Jr. and his soccer career as a young and rising star, it can be assumed that he was fairly talented.
“I played seriously until I was about 13 or 14 then the (US) national team wanted me to try out for it,” stated Beckham Jr. Imagine if he would have actually taken the offer. Aside from his name, “Beckham” fans wonder what type of big-play mentality he would’ve brought to MLS and US soccer as whole.
Fans of the New York Giants and LSU Tigers are well aware of what Beckham Jr. brings to the football field. The young and talented wide receiver took college football by storm and is now doing the same in the NFL. Many fans recall the insane catch by Beckham Jr. against the Dallas Cowboys a few weeks ago. Just imagine if he made the same type of play while scoring a golazo or delivering a pine-point perfect pass for a go-ahead goal. The thoughts are endless.
Beckham Jr. does showcase his soccer abilities occasionally and still refers to the beautiful game as his first love. Even after all his success in the gridiron. Who knows what could have been for the young NFL star.