FROM MacRory Cup star to playing with Lionel Messi – Ryan Carmichael is living the dream after being snapped up by the Argentine World Cup winner’s Inter Miami.
Madden man Carmichael was selected as the 24th first round pick in the MLS SuperDraft, which is an annual draft for Major League Soccer sides to choose from the best collegiate talents in the US.
Hooking up with the club owned by David Beckham, and whose squad boasts not only magician Messi but former Barcelona team-mates Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba, it is a far cry from the days of racking up the scores for St Patrick’s Academy.
Although already on the books of Portadown by that stage, Carmichael was involved in the Dungannon school’s 2019 and 2020 MacRory campaigns, while also showing plenty of promise in club colours.
It was in the world of soccer, though, where his career was really starting to flourish.
The former Northern Ireland youth international started his career at Loughgall before moving to Shamrock Park in 2018, with his last Portadown appearance coming in their 2-0 defeat to Ballyclare Comrades in February 2020.
It was at that point Carmichael decided to try his luck Stateside, joining New York-based Hofstra University – and he hasn’t looked back for a second.
In 75 appearances throughout his collegiate career, he scored 46 goals and provided 18 assists while picking up Second Team United Soccer Coaches All-America, First Team United Coaches All-Atlantic Region and First Team All-Coastal Athletic Association honours this year.
He was named 2022 CAA Player of the Year and was also a three-time first team all-conference pick, finishing his university spell ranked second all-time for goals scored at Hofstra.
Those stats helped bring him onto the radar of some of the biggest MLS clubs though, in an interview with the Hofstra Chronicle last month, Carmichael admitted he was originally unsure about swapping Ireland for America.
“I was kind of on the fence whether I was going to come out to the States at all,” he said.
“Then [associate head coach] Stephen Roche came and had a talk with me after one of my games back home.
“He said he liked what he saw. I ended up having a look into the student stuff. Good area, obviously, in New York. I just decided to come and haven’t looked back since.”