Former Kentucky soccer star Michael D?Agostino is finding international success in his first full season as a professional, suiting up for Cheltenham Town F.C. in Cheltenham, England.
D?Agostino, a UK letterman from 2004-06, helped lead the Wildcats to its historic 14-win 2006 season. D?Agostino, a Vancouver, Canada native, totaled 36 points during his three-year Wildcat career, finishing with 11 career goals and 14 career assists. As a junior in 2006, D?Agostino delivered six goals and six assists, netting his second career game-winner. D?Agostino played in all 21 games for the Wildcats in 2006, racking up a team-high 1823 minutes.
After undergoing trials in Italy with Reggina and Messina, D?Agostino traveled to West Yorkshire, England for a trial with Leeds United of Football League One. After the first initial trials, D?Agostino played in a reserves match with Blackpool, eventually signing in September.
On loan from the Blackpool Seasiders, D?Agostino has played in eight games for the Robins, totaling one assist.
D?Agostino, 20, benefits from valuable international experience gained over the past several years as a collegiate and youth, having suited up for Canada in the Under-20 World Cup in the summer of 2007 and in 2003 as a member of Canada?s under-15 national team, which traveled throughout Germany.
Sean Grybos, writing for the online blog Soccer City FC, recently did a feature on D?Agostino.
To check up on D?Agostino and read an informative piece on the former UK standout,
Below is a excerpt from the feature on D’Agostino.
Q: You played at the University of Kentucky with fellow British Columbian players, Nathan Li, Riley O?Neil, and Jarret Christie. How big of a factor was this in your decision to attend UK?
A: I think the fact that Riley, Nate, and Jarret were there and enjoying their soccer helped sway my decision to attend UK. I had always looked up to them as players and respected them a lot so when they explained to me that UK soccer was a program that had quality players and high ambitions in the league I took that to heart and trusted their opinion.
For me it was always about the soccer and trying to get myself in a position where I could improve my game to a point where I could jump myself into the professional game without feeling out of place. I realize now how difficult it is to get yourself playing professional soccer no matter at what level, and I think playing at UK definitely helped me a lot when it came to that.
On the other side of it it?s always good to have players that you already know to help the transition of moving to a new team, and they definitely helped me a tremendous amount. Knowing that they were there enjoying life, on and off the pitch, made me feel a bit more comfortable in choosing UK, and once I arrived they helped me settle in quite a bit, making me feel at home.
