It may have taken him a while to get there, but Sergio Royo Ochoa may soon be able to call himself a professional footballer.

The title professional soccer player may, however, be more appropriate as it’s in the USA where the Spanish native is making some Armada-sized waves.

His impending journey to the top has taken in a number of unusual stops, like Carlisle’s Sheepmount football pitches and Gretna’s Raydale Park, while there’s also some more common sporting meccas in the mix like the Vicente Calderón Stadium, home of giants Atletico Madrid.

Now years of hard work have paid off for the 23-year-old forward who has just been named in the draft for the MLS, a prestigious list that features the brightest prospects in American football.

It means he has a serious chance of being signed up by one of the country’s premier teams and joining the professional ranks of the game.

But before he’d even set foot on American soil it was in Carlisle where his talent shone brightest after moving to Cumbria with his family in 2008.

Born in Zaragoza, nothern Spain, Sergio spent most of his life in Madrid before coming to England and while in Carlisle he became the focal point of local teams Northbank and Harraby Catholic while also impressing in the Scottish amateur ranks with Gretna.

Sergio remembers his time in the city’s football scene fondly.

“I will always have good memories from that city, not only football memories but friendship memories. I know that I can come back whenever and meet with the people that I met there and be like I never left,” he says.

After attending both Trinity School in Carlisle and Lime House School in Dalston he went on to study at the University of Cumbria, again becoming a key figure in their successful football team.

But it was in 2013 when casually browsing the internet that Sergio spotted an opportunity to finally reach his dream.

“Well this is kind of a funny story. I was reading a Spanish newspaper online while I was in Carlisle and I came across an article that talked about Atletico Madrid trying to help Spanish players to go overseas to the states with scholarships for football,” he says.

“I talked to my dad about it and he told me that he would always support all my decisions and we made it happen. While I was in Spain for the summer I attended some tryouts at the Atletico Madrid training ground and out of a couple of hundred kids I was the only one selected.

“I got a few offers from different schools in the states but the one that showed more confidence and showed the most interest was the University of Northwestern Ohio where I now study business administration with sports marketing and management.”

Sergio wasted no time in settling in and making an impression for this college, nicknamed the Racers, who compete in the Wolverine–Hoosier Athletic Conference (WHAC).

During the time he’s been there he’s been named in the WHAC All-Conference first team, offensive player of the week, player of the week three times in one season, and in two firsts for his college - he scooped national player of the week and was selected in the All-American first team.

His list of accolades - as well as a stellar record of scoring 42 goals and providing 24 assists in just 59 games - has caught the attention of the US game’s most influential officials.

Being on the MLS draft list means he is eligible to be picked up by any team in the league during four rounds of picks.

“Just being there is a big achievement. I don’t attend a big university and the MLS don’t often have those universities in consideration. But I have been lucky enough to be selected to be in it,” he adds.

“I mean everything has gone well since day one and that’s helped. I was lucky enough to land in a team that fit me perfectly and has amazing staff and teammates. I don’t think I’ll be selected in the first two rounds, so my hopes are in the third and fourth round.”

Sergio’s dedication to the sport and a never-say-die attitude has allowed him to dream big and even if his MLS ambitions don’t come to fruition this time, he’s not giving up. He continues: “I do like New York City FC, because of the city and the players that they have. I mean imagine playing with David Villa, Pirlo, Lampard. Villa is a favourite of mine for what he has done for Spain and the team that I support in my home country - Real Zaragoza.

“I never gave up believing but I just take one day at a time. I always knew what my dream was and I have just been taking all the chances that life has been giving me. Just one day at a time that’s the philosophy. I do have a few offers from teams in the second division here in the states. But all those are on hold until I find out what happens with the draft.”

On a global level soccer on the other side of the Atlantic may not be as highly regarded as the European leagues, but as Sergio explains the standard is certainly ever-improving.

“I mean we all thought that when we first came to the States. Obviously the MLS and American football or soccer is nowhere near the Premier League or La Liga. But they are sure changing that,” he says. 

“You don’t realize the amount of English lads and Spanish kids that I have met here and people from all over the world. I’m sure in the next few years we’ll see big changes in the MLS, I mean look how many good players it is attracting.”

David Beckham’s headline-grabbing stint at LA Galaxy is well documented with Goldenballs being the first superstar to make the MLS his home. His arrival in the USA set off a trend for other high-profile players to make the league a final stop before entering retirement.

The likes of Didier Drogba, Frank Lampard, Thierry Henry, Steven Gerrard, Andrea Pirlo, Robbie Keane, David Villa and Kaka have all been part of rosters in the MLS.

The arrival of such world-renowned talents has raised the profile of the MLS to new heights meaning it enjoys a growing audience and commercial operation each year.