James Togbah has described his move to Maltese Premier League side Valletta FC as “a dream come true” after reaching his goal of playing professional soccer in Europe at just 19 years of age.

The young forward became the second player to join the club this summer on the back of just his first event with Pro Soccer Consulting, after fellow combine participant Kyle O’Brien was also signed following a recommendation by Agency staff [link to Kyle’s article once released].

Togbah was initially invited on tour after standing out at the 2014 Atlanta combine and, after choosing to finish his school education before accepting the offer, impressed coaches and scouts against professional opposition in July during our U23 elite trip.

The Eastern Florida State College graduate is among the youngest of PSC’s 50+ success stories in 2015 and was naturally delighted when we caught up with him recently.

See a small sample of James' highlights’ here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aaGFm8YyIDo

Below are extracts from our interview with James…

On moving to Malta: “It was definitely a dream come true moment, especially In Malta. However, now is not the time to get comfortable. The goal is to keep going up from here. I definitely wasn’t expecting it to happen so fast, but it was exciting to be signing my first contract!”

On PSC:  “I heard about PSC through one of my buddies who had gone on a trip previously – he said it was really worth it. PSC had more success stories [than other companies] and is very reliable. I’ve already been sending the company’s website links to friends in the States! They were really helpful, it’s very nice seeing people who want the best for you – I loved it. I really appreciate all the help from the PSC staff and especially Mark Miller and Mark Taylor!”

On the tour: “I didn’t know what to expect when going to Sweden but, in the end, I liked it. It was great being around a group of guys with one goal; you could tell everyone was giving their best. I really liked the coaching aspects and the new environment.”

On advice for other aspiring players: “Never give up on your dreams. If it doesn’t work out at first, that doesn’t mean that’s the end of it. I had a school and money situation [after first being invited on tour] so I didn’t want to rush it. I wanted to be fully prepared, so I finished my two years of school and played PDL to prepare. In the end, it paid off.”

If you think you have what it takes to play professionally, please attend one of our upcoming combines, or contact our staff here.

Important links

PSC Combines
PSC Success Stories
PSC Management
PSC Youtube Channel 

Ryan Grant is a sports journalist who writes for EPL giants Manchester United and has been published by Goal.com, The Guardian, FourFourTwo and worked with several respective football clubs, including Glasgow Rangers, Preston North End, Blackburn Rovers, Burnley, and Blackpool, among others.