I mentioned a few weeks ago that Oliver Shannon, former youth team player for us, got drafted by Atlanta in the MLS after playing for Clemson (a top program over here) at University level. The Echo has a really nice write up on him today:
https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/spo...erton-academy-reject-oliver-shannons-14375541
On January 19, each side from America’s MLS system converged for the annual SuperDraft - the yearly event in which teams can pick, swap and trade both graduating college players and those otherwise signed by the league.
In the past, high-profile names such as Brad Guzan, Clint Dempsey and Jack Harrison - who joined Manchester City from New York in January - have all been part of the selection process, and this year’s iteration ended with 81 players finding clubs within the MLS system.
One player - 36th pick overall and one of only two Englishmen to be selected - was Clemson University’s Oliver Shannon, who was snapped up by Atlanta United, managed by former Argentina and Barcelona boss Tata Martino.
Shannon - who was born and raised in Heswall, on the Wirral - was snapped up by Everton’s academy at the tender age of five years old.
Thirteen years later, with his boyhood dream of representing Everton tantalisingly close, Shannon was told his future did not lie at Goodison Park.
Less than four years since that shattering revelation, however, Shannon has his eyes firmly set on the big-time once more - despite not having a permanent residence in America yet!
“Since January 1st, I’ve had 15 flights and stayed in ten different hotels,” the 22-year-old says from the lobby of yet another temporary home.
"It’s stressful living out of suitcases for so long. I can’t wait to be settled but I’ve still got to get home to get my cases!”
The former Toffee - who retains his Main Stand season ticket and hopes to take in the visit of Brighton when he eventually returns for his belongings - has more reasons than most to want to settle down and find his place in the bustling city he now calls home.
Atlanta is the capital of Georgia - and also the most populous city in the state - making it a far cry from the small college town of Clemson where Shannon spent the first three years of his American adventure. But how did a boy from Liverpool, who spent the entirety of his childhood being moulded by Everton’s academy system, find himself in the wild world of college soccer, where attendances average in the thousands?
“I went into Everton early on in the January and asked what was going on with my contract,” he explains. “I was playing U18s regularly but not getting a look in at the reserves and you start thinking to yourself, ’What’s going on here?’
“It was a really bad game that sparked me going in. I think it was against Bolton. So I went in to clear my head and see what was happening.”
Everton’s powers-that-be revealed a decision on his future had been made - but it wasn’t the answer he was hoping for.
“At first I wanted to trial at other clubs and Everton told me they would send my name out,” Shannon recalls. “But they also mentioned going to America, and it was something I’d spoken about with my mum and dad.
“Getting a degree but living and playing in America was always appealing to me, and I started playing really well in my last six months at Everton.
“I was back in the Youth Cup team, playing every minute and playing the best I’d played in years, really. I didn’t even bother going out on trial in the end and totally focused on the American route.”
Mike Dickinson - then Head of Education and Welfare at the Blues - and Alan Irvine put Shannon in touch with a mutual friend who coached at Clemson, and after visiting the campus that summer, he admitted feeling a “special” bond with the place.
The Merseysider packed his belongings and set out on a new pathway, combining “soccer” with a degree in Sport, Communication and Business.
Shannon knew he was taking a risk - but it may just have been the best decision of his life.
Unfortunately, though, tragedy was just around the corner.
Three weeks into life at Clemson, Oliver received the news that his mother, Amanda, had been diagnosed with a brain tumour.
“It was difficult,” he admits. “I flew back for six weeks as soon as I found out, missed a few games and was constantly flying back and forth.”
Amanda Shannon sadly passed away just over a year after her diagnosis, when Oliver was midway through his second year. She was just 50 years old.
“It was kind of in the middle of it all, but Clemson were so good to me,” he says resolutely. “They put a lot of confidence in me and made me feel like I was a big player for the team.
“Every game I felt like I had to do well. That gave me a lot of confidence. I was the captain for two years.”
And it wasn’t just his new American family that were there for him. Oliver also remembers the touching gestures made by Everton after his mother’s passing.
“Seven or eight coaches came to Mum’s funeral and David Unsworth let me train at Finch Farm when I was home at that time.
“Even now, all these years later, it feels like I’m another graduate of the academy with all the emails and texts I’ve received since joining Atlanta.”
The Blues paid Oliver’s travelling fees - usually provided by a private company - and the club also helped overcome a processing issue with Shannon’s registration last week “within a day”.
Then, after several successful years at Clemson - captaining his side to two cup finals and one league triumph - the box-to-box midfielder had
impressed enough people to be drafted in the second round of January’s SuperDraft by Atlanta.
With the club boasting a 70,000-seater stadium and brand new training facilities - plus Martino as manager and Guzan in goal - Shannon has well and truly landed on his feet.
He reckons there’s still everything to prove, however.
“My situation is similar to that of Beni Baningime’s, if you’re looking for an Everton equivalent,” he says. “People want to see Beni come through - but do the club trust him?
“The thing I have, though, is a degree in my pocket. I’m still nowhere near a starter in this team but my aim is to just get in the squad as much as I can. I’ve got everything to prove.”
After impressing in pre-season - despite his first run-out man-marking Federico Higuain, brother of Gonzalo, leaving him “mentally and physically knackered” - the massive Evertonian is impressed by the quality of his new club and willing to fill in anywhere to grab his chance.
“At Clemson I was more box-to-box, maybe a number ten, but here Martino is manager and he’s had me really deep, tackling and being on the ball out the back. I’ll play anywhere.
“Coming to Atlanta, I’ve been prepared really well by Everton and Clemson. The first touch from some of the South American players is unreal, though, and they’ll definitely be in the Premier League in a few years.”
With the native tongue of the coaching staff being Spanish, the midfielder laughs as he recalls his first proper interaction with the new manager.
“It was when we were all watching Everton against Arsenal and the coaching staff were all laughing at me for supporting Everton. Martino was telling me I should support Liverpool!”
Recently, though, Toffees defender Ramiro Funes Mori sent Oliver a video message - wishing him good luck in his new endeavour - which was orchestrated by Martino and his colleagues.
And the boyhood Blue still hasn’t given up on his ultimate dream of turning out alongside Funes Mori at Goodison Park one day.
“My highlight in America so far is definitely graduation. My dream job in the future would be a sporting director or general manager - over here or back home - or something where you can combine scouting with the commercial role.
“But for now, I’m single and can definitely see myself coming back. I would like to return and play as high as I could. The dream is obviously still to play for Everton. Whether I do that or not remains to be seen.”
