PSC are proud to announce that central defender James Drye has been signed by BK71 Sandoy following his performances on our Finland 2021 Showcase Tour in November.

Drye had the pleasure of being coached by his new Head Coach, Richard Goffe, who was one of PSC’s guest coaches on the showcase. Both player and coach appreciated the opportunity to work together over a 10 day period and learn each others personalities and abilities in what we hope and expect will be a successful step for James in his career.

All here at PSC wish James the best as he begins his professional career in Europe. We took the time to chat to James this week on his move to Europe and how he felt participating in the showcase tour benefitted him both in terms of being exposed to PSC’s scouting network, and his development as a player:

1. What is it about playing in the Faroe Islands that you are most looking forward to?

A few things I am looking forward to doing are, firstly, being able to live in a different country, culture and learn everything about the Islands. I also look forward to working with coach Richard and playing the game at the next level.

2. What are your hopes and goals for this season (both individually and as a team)?

I hope that I can adjust to the playing style and system of my new team quickly. I would like to be able to come into the team and help as much as I can. One of my goals would be to help the team win the league. Also I want to just grow as a player and learn as much as I can.

3. You worked with Richard, your new Head Coach, on the tour in Sweden & Finland – how helpful was that in this process for you?

Having Richard as one of my coaches over the tour was an absolute pleasure to experience and now I will be able to learn even more from him while joining him in the Faroe Islands. I was lucky enough to talk to him a good amount over the tour and get feedback after a game or training session. I think being able to talk to him and get feedback helped a lot because I was able to correct what happened or help others more for the next game. Also I had a good one on one conversation with Richard at the end of the tour but didn’t wrap my mind around the possibility that he would offer me a contract and join his team!

4. What were your thoughts on the tour and the on field experience you had?

The tour was absolutely amazing to experience and I was so happy that I was finally about to join the PSC crew on a tour. I was supposed to join the Malta tour back in 2020 but it ended up not being able to happen due to COVID. The experience I was able to have on the field was a pleasure to be able to experience. I had great coaches in Martin and Richard and being able to talk with the other coaches over the tour was great. The facilities were beautiful and definitely kept this desert boy from freezing in the cold snow.

5. What were your thoughts on the tour and the off field experience you had?

Everything off the field was very well organized by the PSC staff. Being able to hangout with everyone in the hotel and on our days off really made the experience really good. Being able to watch the other teams play and being able to support the guys I hangout with off the field was a blast. Traveling into Finland was really easy. I was able to go a few days early and I explored a lot before everyone joined.

6. How has your experience been with PSC and their facilitating of the opportunity?

PSC has been a great group of people to work with and I couldn’t have asked for a much better crew to be able to help me get to the next level in my career. They helped me a lot with facilitating the deal I was given from coach Richard and his team. PSC kept me updated as much as they could and made sure that I was happy with everything first.

7. Is there anyone you would like to thank or acknowledge at this time?

I would like to thank PSC for the opportunity they gave me from this tour. I would also like to thank coach Richard for believing in me and giving me the chance to play at a high level. I have to thank FC Arizona for welcoming me last summer and giving me a chance to keep playing after college. I have to give the biggest thank you to my family for everything. They were by my side every step of the way from my youth days, to college, to me moving to Arizona in less than 24 hours and now they are with me for my first professional contract. We’ve all shared some highs and lows over the years. Now all of this and everything myself and my family have put into my career has gotten me to where I’ve always wanted to be.