Only a few weeks into the new year California native Sebastian Lletget already senses the next 12 months could be the most pivotal of a soccer career that so far has been more about overcoming adversity off the field than enjoying success on it.
The 24-year-old Galaxy midfielder is entering the prime of his career, is fitter than ever having shed some pounds in the offseason, just made his U.S. men’s national team debut under his former club coach Bruce Arena and is penciled in as a consistent starter on a young MLS team.
Highly touted as a youngster, the Northern California native moved to London as a teenager to play for storied West Ham United, a club with a deserved reputation for successfully developing youngsters into solid pros.
But a stamina-sapping illness set back his promising career for years; during his five years at United Lletget managed just one senior appearance for the Hammers and never played in a regular season league game.
In 2015 he returned to the U.S. with the Galaxy, making 20 appearances that season and clocking up another 31 last year.
Eye-catching runs up the wing at opposing defenders — an all-too rare commodity in MLS — made him a fan favorite on an inconsistent team. Now Lletget has accomplished the offseason work to put himself in position for a breakout year.
“Its unbelievable,” he said after training this week. “The tables have really turned for me. It took a year and a half to two years (in MLS), but it’s amazing how fast things have changed.
It’s definitely a big year,” Lletget added. “This is going to be the one which separates me from my past years as far as really establishing myself in the big leagues, especially with the national team. Hopefully that keeps on going and I’m confident that it will.”
And it doesn’t hurt that for once Lletget found himself in the right place at the right time with Arena reassuming the helm of the USMNT just as he found the peak form of his career and finally started to fulfill the undoubted potential United saw in him as a kid.
“It’s not like he gifted me anything, but every player needs an opportunity and sometimes that’s all you need,” Lletget said. “As I’ve said in the past you need that bit of luck. I don’t think you can name one player that didn’t need that one person who believed in them to really get them going.”
That said, expectations for Lletget are now higher than ever.
With all the high-profile departures from the Galaxy,he is now one of the more experienced pros — and most highly-paid players — on the LA roster.
And Lletget is up for the challenge.
“Playing quick, playing with less touches, but still getting in the final third and getting in good spots, just mixing it up and being unpredictable is what my game’s about,” he said. “As the years have gone by I’ve gotten better and I think it’s really going to take off now.”
Indeed, Lletget is one of a number of Galaxy players coach Curt Onalfo is challenging to prove themselves with breakout years.
That includes Mexican playmaker Giovanni Dos Santos who many feel still has the untapped potential — if he feels like it — to become an even more dominant and potent attacking force in MLS.
And that means shooting more, dropping back into midfield less and shouldering additional responsibility.
“He’s a fantastic player, Lletget said. “In front of goal he’s lethal. We want him up more to really finish things off in the final third. We have enough players to dominate games in the midfield. We want him up the field. I know there’s a lot of pressure on him, but he can handle it.”
And so it appears can Lletget after suffering through the stuttering start to his pro career.
“I wouldn’t change anything,” he said. “I learned so much and it really prepared me. The standards were high (in England), the pressure (was big). I was really molded by that mentality and it was embedded in me when I came. I took it here and I used it and I incorporated it into this team.”
Now the Galaxy are poised to reap the rewards.
For more local soccer news, read the 100 Percent Soccer blog at www.insidesocal.com/soccer.
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