Americans Abroad - Jonathan Spector

By Andrew Rogers
Soccer365

After being spotted by Manchester United scouts at a tournament, Jonathan Spector made the jump across the pond to one of England's most prominent clubs. The defender took a moment to speak with Soccer 365's Andrew Rogers about his youth days in the U.S., time with the national program, move to the UK and more.

What inspired you from your Illinois days to play soccer?

My mother was born in Germany so it comes from there. I grew up playing the sport; I grew up playing every sport and soccer was the one I really enjoyed. Also Brian McBride was someone who came from the area and did well, so he was a good role model.

Did you have a mentor as a youngster?

I was very lucky, I had several growing up. My father coached me until I was 14, then when I moved to the Chicago Sockers the influence was very much Brazilian. I had a coach named Dave Richardson in there too. I would then say the ODP and National coaches played a huge role in my development, but I think the best mentors throughout have been my family.

You were originally developing as a midfielder/striker then you changed, how was the transition and how did it come about?

I started out as a midfielder at 14/15--when I first went to the national team program--then, when I went to the residency program in Florida I was converted to a striker. I eventually moved to center back when I was playing for the U.S. in a youth tournament in Ballymena. There was a Manchester United scout there to watch an Austrian striker, and we ended up winning 2-0. That was when United scouted me as a central defender.

It's an important lesson for youngsters to feel comfortable in every position on the park, but what was it like being thrown in at the international level?

To be honest I wasn't getting much time as a striker so I was excited at the opportunity to be getting some games and getting on the pitch. There were some injuries so I was happy to step in. I grabbed the opportunity with both hands and it worked out for the best!

It certainly worked out for the best, but Bradenton Academy to the biggest club in the world, that's quite a big step, no?

Like I said, I got lucky. The United scout was there for an Austrian striker. I was invited to a week trial and after the week I was offered a contract. At that point I was trying to decide if I was going to college or the MLS so it made my decision pretty easy.

How did you deal with the challenge?

I was looking forward to it, it's not often an American gets the chance to play for Manchester United, so I wanted to make the most of it. The other way of looking at it is how often does an English baseball player get the chance to play for the New York Yankees? It's just not very common.

I started out in the academy in the U18/19 and by the end of the season was playing in the reserves and training with the first team.  I'm grateful to the staff and Sir Alex Ferguson for the way they brought my game on.