D.C. United have welcomed a throng of foreign players hailing from distant locales and well-respected leagues this offseason, including three South Americans with national team experience. But Englishman Dan Stratford, the most unheralded newcomer of the bunch, has arrived via the most intriguing route -- and might yet stake a strong claim to meaningful playing time in the months to come.
"He's been very consistent," said D.C. head coach Tom Soehn. "He's got a good soccer brain. He's been able to adjust pretty good to the speed of play and obviously every day that he's in it, he's going to adjust even faster. But so far he's been pretty solid."
Pursuing a professional career since adolescence, Stratford has journeyed from the teeming heart of London to the rugged hills of West Virginia and now to the nation's capital, with no shortage of ups and downs along the way.
As a member of Fulham FC's youth academy beginning at age 16, Stratford aspired to join the Cottagers' senior squad in the rigorous environs of the English Premier League. But the midfielder couldn't catch on at the Thames-side club and as he looked elsewhere for opportunities, he caught the attention of former West Virginia University coach Mike Seabolt and his staff, who were traveling far afield in search of overseas talent to boost their emergent program.
"I didn't get offered a contract and went to a trial [at another club], and the West Virginia coaches were there. So they approached me after the game and said, 'Would you be interested in coming to America?' and I said "yes," explained Stratford. "We remained in contact -- I went on other trials in England and nothing really came of it, and it came to the point where coming to America and getting a college degree was definitely the best option for me."
Ironically, Stratford was preparing to cross the pond just as his former club began a string of North American signings that eventually earned it the "Fulhamerica" tag. He was well acquainted with U.S. internationals Brian McBride and Carlos Bocanegra, and sought some advice from the latter as he pondered whether to attend WVU or Boston College.
"I spoke to Carlos Bocanegra and said, 'What do you know about these two universities?' and he said to me, 'You do know it's 21 to drink in America, right?'" said Stratford with a chuckle. "I don't know whether I can call that good advice or not, but that's the first thing he said to me."
Culture shock was always going to be an issue for the native Londoner, and choosing Morgantown over Boston led to sudden immersion in one of the more unique regions of his new country. The rigors of Seabolt's grueling, fitness-centric training sessions presented another challenge as well, though the intensity of the compressed college calendar soon made Stratford understand the need for such toil.
"I'd never had a practice broken up before where you just were told to get on the line and start running," said Stratford. "I can remember looking over to the other guy that they'd got signed from England, and that was one of those moments where you think, 'What am I doing here?' But there was some method to his madness."
Stratford would prosper with the Mountaineers, pulling the strings in midfield and eventually notching all-time school records in assists and minutes played. Since joining United last month, he's quickly made coaches and colleagues take notice with some strong displays during the club's preseason stint in Bradenton, Fla.
"Danny's holding his own," said assistant coach Mark Simpson. "He came in as a supplemental pick and he's doing pretty well. He's been a surprise for us in terms of our draft picks, because I think he's probably been one of the more successful ones."
Stratford can take comfort in the presence of a few familiar faces: third-year United defender Devon McTavish was a teammate at WVU and fellow trialist Pat Carroll was his roommate for the past three seasons. His substantial experience has also helped him take the humbling rituals of rookiedom in stride.
"I describe him as a 'good lad,'" jokes McTavish. "Right now he knows his place but he's not afraid to mix it up with the big guys at all. He's been in this situation before when he was at Fulham, so he knows how to handle himself. So far I think he's done an excellent job, both on and off the field, of doing that."
With his sharp vision and distribution skills, Stratford seems fully capable of carving out a reserve role in the United midfield this season, though he's reluctant to look beyond his immediate goal of simply earning a roster spot.
"I think as a center midfielder I bring a range of passing. I take a lot of pride in my ability to spray the ball around," he said. "I think I bring a quality technically, and hopefully I'll get a chance to show my other abilities, my other strengths as the season goes on, if I'm fortunate enough to stay."
Charles Boehm is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
