By Lukas OwensPlaying professionally in Europe is the dream of many soccer players. Kentucky men’s soccer alumnus Justin Laird has traveled thousands of miles — and to another continent — in pursuit of that dream.Sure, for an American the aspiration of playing in Europe seems farfetched, but considering Laird’s development over the past two years, maybe it’s not so far from the realm of possibility. During his time at UK, Laird developed into one of the nation’s most lethal strikers as a senior. Laird’s goal-scoring prowess could serve him well in the future as it’s a well-known fact that just about any team is always in the market for a player who can put the ball in the back of the net.Laird showed an uncanny ability to do just that in UK colors last year. And perhaps the greatest illustration of his ability to effectively lead an attacking line came more in the games he missed than the ones he played in.Laird was a key component in the Wildcats’ attack, which went undefeated in nine straight games between the end of September and early November, leading UK into the de facto Conference USA regular-season championship game.And Laird was on the pitch when UK took a 1-0 lead in that game, only to go off injured with a season-ending MCL sprain, which significantly hindered UK’s ability to threaten opposing defenses.Laird scored a UK-leading six goals, including three game-winners — many of them coming in spectacular fashion — and led the team in shots with 47, which was the ninth most in UK single-season history.Not coincidentally Kentucky scored just one goal — off a penalty — in the three games after he went out. In short, Laird’s absence in the stretch run of the season showed just how good he was. UK was a top-15 team when he was playing, but lost three straight matches after he went out.So following his season and entering rehab, Laird was at a crossroads. To continue pursuing his love of soccer or to move on to the so-called real world?He didn’t take long to make a decision.”Coach came up to me in the training room and asked if I was interested in playing after college,” Laird said. “I told him ‘for sure’ and that’s when things started to happen. That was when professional soccer became a possibility.”Upon deciding he would continue to pursue soccer and after returning to full fitness, Laird set about training for his next chance when he went home to Milwaukee, Wisc., after the semester ended.In Milwaukee the European dream began to take shape.Laird was training with the Premier Football International Academy, and options started to open.”The academy assembles a team from the Milwaukee area to send them to Europe to play against some of Europe’s top organizations,” Laird said. “The academy’s goal is to get these players exposure, in hopes of getting them signed to a professional team.”Laird’s first trial in Europe, which began in January, went relatively well. He wasted little time in living out the dream, as on the first day of his trial at Swiss club FC Lausanne Sport, he played 1v1 with former Italian International forward Marco Simone — who in the 1990s scored 47 goals at Italy’s famed AC Milan, before stints at multiple Ligue 1 clubs in France. In the end, Lausanne Sport ended up bringing in a veteran striker for a quick-fix solution.Currently, Laird is on trial with Servette FC in Geneva, Switzerland. For now, Laird feels he has a lot left in the tank. He is excited for a chance at a professional career, and remains appreciative of all those who have played a part in getting him where he is. “I’d like to give a big thank you to the Big Blue Nation,” Laird said. “I wouldn’t be in this situation if it weren’t for this athletic program.” He isn’t a professional yet, but Laird continues to fight in pursuit of something he never saw coming just a few months ago.