ASN: After deciding for the U.S., Celtic’s Harper longing for robust U-20 begin

The 2021 U-20 cycle has begun with a camp in Slovenia, and Celtic winger Cameron Harper is raring to determine himself inside the crew’s new core. ASN’s Brian Sciaretta spoke with the Sacramento native on his transfer to Celtic and the brand new U-20 crew underneath Tab Ramos.

BY

Brian Sciaretta

Posted
September 03, 2019
12:00 PM

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IN WHAT HAS been a darkish few years for the USA nationwide crew, an ignored story has been the spectacular performances of U.S. youth nationwide groups which have been reaching outcomes on the sector and churning out high quality prospects at a formidable price over the previous 5 years. Every of the current three editions U-17 and U-20 nationwide groups have helped produce the what’s the new core of the total nationwide crew.

On Monday, the U.S. U-20 crew opened its 2021 cycle in Slovenia and it will likely be the fifth underneath head coach Tab Ramos – and the final three have superior to the quarterfinals of the World Cup whereas producing gamers like Tyler Adams, Sergino Dest, Josh Sargent, Tim Weah, Matt Miazga, Paul Arriola, Zack Steffen, Paxton Pomykal, and different gamers like Weston McKennie, and Christian Pulisic who weren’t launched for the competitors.

The brand new roster consists of 2001-born gamers and there are a number of gamers which Ramos is worked up to have on board. Celtic winger Cameron Harper is certainly one of these promising gamers who’s at this new U-20 core that can goal to assist this system proceed its success into its eighth straight yr.

“I am quite excited for it. At the last U-18 camp, obviously Tab coached it. I saw it as an early chance to impress,” Harper informed ASN. “I watched that U-20 World Cup and I watched them compete in CONCACAF. I saw how good of a team they were. Tab is obviously doing something right. To knockout France from the World Cup was quite a shock. But he’s doing something right and I saw that when I went to the last camp. He is very direct in the way he wants you to get forward once you get ball. It doesn’t get better than that. It’s especially good for how I feel I play and how a lot of the players in our cycle play. They are very direct, they’re very good on the ball, and they’re very good to go at defenders.”

Few bits from preseason pic.twitter.com/0Yk1CziPgl

— Cameron Harper (@cameron__harper) August 10, 2019

Every U-20 crew underneath Ramos has been distinctive with every having completely different strengths and weaknesses. The 2015 crew produced stable goalkeepers and central defenders. The 2017 crew was as soon as once more stable in central protection but additionally in defensive midfield with Adams and at ahead with Josh Sargent, Jeremy Ebobisse, and Emmanuel Sabbi. The 2019 was loaded in central midfield whereas additionally having promising fullbacks on each side.

The 2021 cycle at first glimpse appears like it will likely be the cycle of wingers. Each younger wingers from 2019 in Ulysses Llanez and Konrad de la Fuente ought to return. However they are going to be joined by Harper and others at present on the U-17 stage like Gio Reyna who may transfer up.

However Harper is conventional winger who’s right-footed however snug along with his left and doesn’t have a choice for a aspect of the sector. He likes to play out large, get into 1v1 conditions towards defenders, make runs, minimize inside for pictures, or keep out large to hit crosses. Like many in his age-group, he’s assured like these in current cycles.

“You can see of the boys from previous camps that they’re very confident their ability,” Harper stated of the opposite 2001-born gamers. “They know the talent that they possess. They know what they can do. We have quite a while until the next World Cup. It’s two years. If you don’t start well there’s time to improve and get to know each other, get to know your fellow players, your coaches. As of now I’m not too sure what to expect but over the next few months, you’ll see how everyone progresses and how the team does.”

Harper, 17, developed on the well-known Pateadores Soccer Membership in Southern California and his performances there received him within the image with U.S. youth groups – beginning with the U-16 crew.

It was with the U-16 crew on the 2016 IMG Cup the place he drew the eye of a Celtic scout who organized for a trial later in 2017. Celtic had been impressed by Harper on trial and he ultimately joined the membership.

Celtic had been defeated by Rangers within the Scottish Youth Cup ultimate final week, however US Youth worldwide Cameron Harper scored a properly taken aim. Nice composure right here to fit it previous the keeper pic.twitter.com/MdykQWlqFq

— Future USMNT (@FutureUsmnt) April 29, 2019

His first season at Celtic was successful with the membership’s U-18 crew the place he performed in a Youth Cup ultimate (scoring a aim in a loss to Rangers) and a Glasgow Cup ultimate. This yr he’s pushing onto the membership’s reserve crew with the ambition of hopefully making his first-team debut inside attain. Within the present preseason he educated with the primary crew.

“This year I’ve kicked onto the reserves,” Haper stated of his scenario at Celtic. “There is not really an age group for it. It’s boys under 18, you have some first team players who come down. So it’s a really mixed age group anywhere from 17 to 21 or 22. You’ve got a lot of really good players, a lot of older players that you are competing against… In the meantime I am just trying to learn as much from these guys because they have a lot more experience than I do. Yes, I’m enjoying it. Yes, it’s a real challenge. I am progressing.”

First aim of the brand new season vs stoke metropolis reserves? pic.twitter.com/FdhvfH1Y2w

— Cameron Harper (@cameron__harper) July 13, 2019
“My main priority is to get into the reserve team, become more comfortable playing up an age group,” he added. “The players get better, everyone is faster, they’re stronger, they’re smarter. But you always have to have one goal that is something that you really need to strive for. You don’t know if it’s going to happen but it’s something that could happen. That is my first team debut. If I can kick on throughout the next few months and get a first team debut, that’s the one target.”

Whereas many prime American prospects have made their means abroad in recent times, Harper’s transfer to Celtic was a little bit of a homecoming. Harper was born in Sacramento and raised in Southern California however has mother and father who moved to California earlier than he was born.

Scotland has all the time been near Harper’s coronary heart as he plenty of household within the space and his father’s household have a historical past of being passionate Celtic supporters. As we speak, his mom and sister reside with him in Scotland whereas his brother and father reside again in California.

His twin nationality and his expertise have additionally not been unnoticed by Scotland’s federation. Earlier this yr, he was referred to as as much as Scotland’s U-19 crew for a camp in Spain the identical week as he was referred to as up by the U.S. U-18 crew for the camp coached by Tab Ramos.

Harper put numerous thought into the choice and consulted along with his household who helped him weigh numerous components however ultimately left it utterly as much as him, with out stress. In the long run, he confidently concluded the USA was who he needed to signify. Taking part in for the U.S. U-18 camp that window paved the best way for his inclusion to the primary U-20 roster of the cycle.

“We kind of went through the pros and cons, drawn to both camps,” Harper stated. “In the end, my mom and my dad were just kind of like: all right. it’s fully up to you. Playing for your country is quite a big deal. It’s not something that you take for granted.

“It was something that I really took into consideration, obviously, because you just never know what’s going to happen,” he concluded. “You have to keep all your options open. At the end of the day, getting into that U.S. squad is what I was targeting. I picked the US and I don’t regret it. I feel like at that camp I got Tab’s eye on me. It helped get me into this camp. The U.S was the one I wanted to go for because that’s where I’ve been born. That’s where I was raised. The U.S is my priority right now.”