Two young Carlow stars off to play soccer in college in America

Two of Carlow’s brightest young stars are en route to the United States in the coming weeks to go and play soccer in college. Aaron Cunnigham-Burke and Jayden Kelly have lit up the Carlow League this season with their performances for their clubs and in Aaron’s case, for Carlow in the Oscar Traynor too, but their biggest challenge is ahead of them as they leave everything they know behind when they aim to further their soccer careers in the United States.

Aaron Cunningham-Burke showed this season why he has a very bright future ahead as he shone at Hanover Harps. At youths level, the pacy young winger scored 44 goals in all competitions, whilst also forcing his way into the starting line up in the Hanover senior team, where he scored ten goals, finishing in 7th in the Golden Boot race in Carlow, aged just 17. Having celebrated his 18th Birthday last week, the youngster is off to Minnesota next month on a scholarship.

“I’m excited more than anything to go over. I’m not really sure what to expect but I’ve not been thinking too much about that," he told the Carlow Soccer Podcast.

Cunningham-Burke explained how the opportunity arose. 

"After the U16 SFAI Final, I remember someone coming over to me and saying it but I pushed them away, I never thought I’d actually do it. Then I was sitting in my room one day and I was talking to one of my mates and he told me he knew another lad that went for it, Brian Santos who plays with Fiacc’s, but he was too young. I thought 'You know what, I’ll have a look at it' so I had a look and I went over to the trials. They told us not everyone will get through, that only a few people would. I think only two of the 30 people that went to the trials got in. I did well in the trials, and scored a few goals. The agency called me two or three days later and told me they were signing me.” 

But he's had to play a long waiting game since then.

“It was over two years ago. There was about a year and a half where I didn’t get any offers. I got my first offer in December, I think. It was for a school in Kansas. I didn’t really get much recognition. They host matches with all their clients and they livestream them over to American coaches and they’ll put clips together. My year to go was 2025, not 2024, so they prioritised the group that were going that year. 

"When it was my turn, they made a highlight reel for me, and sent them over to the coaches. I knew eventually I’d get it but that I had to be patient and my time would come," he said.

Leaving his family and setting up a whole new life in a different country is a daunting prospect but it was the route he wanted to take.

"It’s a scary thought when you think about it but I want to see how far I go over there. I didn’t think the League of Ireland way was what I wanted to do. I remember having trials for Shamrock Rovers when I was 15 and I felt a little hard done by and I didn’t think it was the route for me. When I watched and researched lads that have done it, they’ve all had good things to say about it and it’s a good way to get my education at the same time.” 

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Jayden Kelly grew up in a soccer mad household with his father, Sean a New Oak legend, and his brother Dean on his way to becoming one. So it’s no wonder that he picked up the genes. 

This year, the 18-year-old youngster came into his own. He made the breakthrough to the senior team at St. Fiacc’s and proved a key part of the squad that won the Division 1 League and Cup double, made it all the way to the KCLR Carlow Shield final and reached the semi-finals of the Douglas Jewellers Carlow Cup. He’s off to Colorado on Thursday and speaking to the Carlow Soccer Podcast, said it’s an amazing opportunity. 

“Very excited to head off, I can’t wait for the experience. I’m nervous too but more so excited to get going," he said, before detailing the process that he went through. 

"I found an agency in Dublin, there were trials up there. I went up to the trials and they signed me on from there. So you go up for matches with them and do training and they do all the work with the colleges in finding you different colleges. I started last year and signed for the agency in August, and throughout this year I had to sit the SAT’s and everything. 

"After that, offers started coming in from colleges and I got to decide from there where I wanted to go. [I want to go] for the experience really. It would be terrible to miss out on I think, and the football is going to make me better so I can’t wait. I’ve been speaking to a few of the guys on the team over the phone so I’ve been getting to know them and some of the guys who have been there for a few years are telling me all about the experience so I’m nearly already settled in. I wasn’t 100% sure whether I was going to go over but once the offers started coming in, I didn’t want to miss out on it.”