White attributes that field and that area for turning him into one of the best soccer players in the United States. This month, White was invited into the 2008 U.S. national team player pool in preparation for its Jan. 19 match against Sweden; granting White the opportunity to earn his first cap, a notable given to a player each time they step on the field in U.S. regalia.
"I've dreamed of something like this for a long time," White said. "My dream was to always play in Europe and I was lucky enough to do so, but to be called to represent my country is every American soccer player's dream and I feel so privileged."
Privileged, yes, but one look at White's resume and it's not hard to see that he is a model candidate in America's quest to improve its soccer by way of young, homegrown talent. He has been groomed for soccer, playing for F.C. Delco, a Pennsylvania-based youth program that only invites the best of the best to participate. White starred as a member of its "Black" division and took his success straight into the college ranks. In his time as a forward at Wake Forest, White was a three-time All-ACC first-team selection and in 2003 he was the Demon Deacons' first ACC Player of the Year.
Following college, White's dream of playing in Europe became a reality after forgoing the option to enter Major League Soccer's Project 40 draft and instead playing for OFK, a team in Belgrade, Serbia. But the 25-year-old soon found OFK to be anything but a dream team and as a result bounced from squad to squad, country to country before he landing on the Dutch premier league team, AGF Aarhus.
