USL Feature
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
By NICHOLAS MURRAY
LAUDERHILL, Fla. – There are those who arrive at the MLS Combine with little to prove, with anticipation growing as to not whether they will be selected at the MLS SuperDraft, but how soon in the first round.
Then there are those like former Michigan Bucks and FC London standout Luke Holmes. Despite a stellar PDL career for both clubs, Holmes entered the week potentially not even be selected in the SuperDraft, leaving his fate to be decided in next Monday’s Supplemental Draft.
But after a goal and assist in the Combine’s second gameday, Holmes may be working his way up the boards of some teams watching closely. The young Englishman, who also had a standout season for Akron after transferring from NAIA Notre Dame College with five goals and eight assists, is one of the players at the Combine who appears prepared to make the move to the professional ranks.
Of course, that was the plan when Holmes came to the United States. While a solid youth prospect with League One’s Bury, the club telling him they expected him to make it, finances wouldn’t allow the club to sign him to a professional deal and continue his development. Joining Notre Dame as a sophomore, he was able to continue his development while balancing school-work. Then in the summer, Holmes played with FC London in 2010, with the focus firmly fixed on raising his game.
“They looked after us, we got food, you were among the guys and it was that you could just concentrate on football,” Holmes said of his experience in Canada. “I think it showed with my performance, with my goals, I think I had 14 goals in 14 games, and I really loved it up there.”
Having the opportunity to not only build fitness before the college season resumed in the fall, but also to get a taste of what the next level could be like is one Holmes would recommend to other players. Playing in the Great Lakes Division, he got the chance to test himself against PDL powers such as the Chicago Fire Premier and Michican Bucks, the team he would play for a season later.
While college work as he prepared to enter Akron for his senior season meant Holmes didn’t get to become as integrated into the club as he had the year before, bagging five goals and five assists in 12 games gave him another solid season in the league and another good experience to draw from.
“It was a great experience [with FC London] and I’d recommend that and I’d also recommend Michigan,” Holmes said. “They did the same thing, they looked after you, they put you up, it was just unfortunate I couldn’t take that option because I had the summer classes I had to take and things which I had to do.”
That sort of preparation would certainly have come in useful before this week’s combine. With players learning each other’s tendencies on the fly, and many players not having played competitive games since the NCAA season ended, the third day of the Combine saw some tired legs at Central Broward Regional Park.
Holmes, who went back to England during the break and tried to maintain his fitness with League One side Oldham Athletic, was one of those who struggled with fitness on the final day. However, with a good body of work built up through both the PDL and at Akron, all Holmes is looking for is the chance to get into an MLS training camp and prove that he belongs.
“To be honest I just want to get a chance somewhere,” he said.
If his track record is anything to go by, the team that takes him might have found themselves something special.