Premier League Side Leicester City Signs Syracuse forward Nathan Opoku, Will Play in Belgium
Nathan Opoku. He is from Accra, Ghana before he was playing with NAIA program Lindsey Wilson College in Kentucky. After 19 goals in 19 matches there, he came to Syracuse to help fill the void of losing Deandre Kerr. As just a Sophomore he helped lead Syracuse to their best record in program history (19-2-4), a 2nd ACC title under Coach Ian McIntyre as well as the first national title in program history. Individually the accolades were plentiful including a Third-Team All-America selection, most outstanding Offensive player in the College Cup and a team high in points (30), goals (11) and assists (8).
That journey, an incredibly unique one, has rewarded the D1 star with a Premier League contract. Leicester City is currently managed by Brendan Rodgers and currently are 14th in the Premier League table. Leicester is one of few teams outside the “Big 6” (Only Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester United, Manchester City and Chelsea) to have topped the standings since Blackburn Rovers in 1995.
In order to make the jump to one of the biggest leagues in the world Opoku will go out on loan until the end of the 2022/2023 season in the Jupiler Pro League which is the top league in Belgium. He will suit up for OH Leuven who currently are 10th in the league. He will now compete against former Syracuse striker Tajon Buchanan with Club Brugge.
This is huge for both Opoku and Syracuse soccer. First off getting a contract in the Premier league is about as much of an “I made it” moment as you can get. Signing for a club who won the league in the last 10 seasons is even bigger. When you think about the relationship between the NCAA and Professional soccer this is also a big moment. The NCAA is becoming a viable option for those who want to become professional athletes. For just Syracuse Miles Robinson, Tajon Buchanan, Kamal Miller and Deandre Kerr are among the Orange athletes to make the jump from the NCAA to the professional soccer world. This signing is a step in the right direction for US soccer as a whole.
For Syracuse, the pipeline from Central New York to the next level is clear and it becomes an even stronger pull for potential recruits or transfers. Having lost Levonte Johnson, Curt Calov and now Nathan Opoku on the attacking end calls for reinforcements which Coach McIntyre and his staff will surely address. If their last recruiting and transfer class is any indication the program will still be able to compete at a high level next year.
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