Arsenal say Yanks very much.
While Sir Alex Ferguson’s extensive and expensive courtship of 14-year-old wonderkid Freddy Adu is continuing, Arsene Wenger has already secured his man.
Virginian Danny Karbassiyoon signed a two-year contract at Highbury last Friday, bringing an end to a 12-month saga that he hopes will be the start of a glittering professional career.
Karbassiyoon’s arrival is no late-summer whim. Arsenal have been after the Roanoke Star striker since he impressed chief scout Steve Rowley at a North Carolina soccer camp last summer, but allowed him to finish his schooling before offering him a full-time contract. He trained with the first-team squad last season and was even invited to sit on the substitutes’ bench during Arsenal’s Champions League draw with Valencia. Not a bad way to spend your Christmas holiday.
Karbassiyoon returned to Highbury last week and made an immediate impact.
Rowley said: “When he went to train with the first team he didn’t look out of place. He was being marked by Sol Campbell and it didn’t worry him at all.
“It was a pressurized situation for the kid and he responded very positively. He needs to work on a few things practically, which is to be expected, but his general play was right up to the standard. The staff are very impressed with his attitude.
“Danny caught my eye because of his technique, pace and superb stamina. I also noticed his enthusiasm and demeanour off the field. Just to see how he responded to others, being approachable, happy and smiling, stood out.
“It takes a lot of character for a young man to make the change from living in America to England so those qualities are very relevant.”
Karbassiyoon’s former coach at Roanoke Star, Danny Beamer, believes that his protege’s work ethic could see him go all the way to the top.
Beamer said: “He is a great player but has an unbelievable attitude. He works on his own all the time. He’s a great finisher and his first step is very explosive. He’s also one of the most creative players I’ve ever coached.
“Danny creates a lot of chances for himself and people watch with their mouths dropping open, even the opposing players. We’ve had referees clap after he’s scored goals they were so great.
“The players who are most successful are the ones who work on their own. This is a very competitive sport and you can’ t expect to have things handed to you.” Karbassiyoon’sacclimatisation will be aided by the fact that he is not a lone ranger.
Young Missourian defender Frankie Simek played 22 games for the Under-17s last season after signing in the summer and Arsenal’s youngsters are beginning to rival the cosmopolitan make-up of the first-team. There are now players from eight different nationalities in the various youth teams.
Football has long been a global game and America could be the coming power. There are 14 Americans attached to Premiership clubs, including five regular first-teamers, and it would have been more had Tottenham target Bobby Convey been granted a work permit.
Almost a decade on, the seeds sown in USA 94 are bearing fruit. The Yankees are coming.
Rowley said: ” You’ve got to recognise that at a grass-roots level, soccer in America is huge. It’s an avenue we haven’t explored too much but we will be doing so.
“You have so many players playing over there, that there are certainly going to be some very talented youngsters. It’s perfectly logical.”
Karbassiyoon qualified for a work permit by virtue of his mother’s Italian passport and aims to make the most of his good fortune.
The 19-year-old is already well ahead of schedule after scoring an instinctive goal, created by Thierry Henry, in his first training session. He can hardly believe his luck.
Karbassiyoon said: “We were doing a drill and Henry played a through ball to me and I hit a first-time strike past the goalkeeper. I would have been just as happy if I was on the sideline watching these guys.
“After training everyone goes and eats lunch together.
“I was sitting there and Dennis Bergkamp grabbed his food and sat down by me. I was having a blast.”
http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/sport/football