Young Reggae Boy Kameron Lacey drafted to FC Dallas

JAMAICAN YOUTH international Kameron Lacey will not have to travel far to begin his professional career in Major League Soccer (MLS).

Lacey, a product of the FC Dallas academy, will play for the franchise after being drafted with the 82nd pick in the third round of the 2023 MLS Superdraft on Wednesday.

Lacey, who was born in Miami, represented Jamaica at the Under-17 and Under-20 levels, the most recent of which was in 2018 when he played against the United States for the Under-20s.

Lacey is coming off a strong collegiate season with the University of North Carolina at Charlotte where he became a First Team All-American conference honoree with nine goals and seven assists from 16 starts. Lacey had a brief stint with Orlando City prior to his collegiate career.

Lacey continues a trend of FC Dallas bringing back former academy players, having drafted Mark Salas and Giovanni Montesdeoca last year.

Lacey told the club website that being able to build play for the club that played a hand in his development as a youth player is a special moment that he is looking forward to.

AMAZING FEELING

“Once we saw my name get called, it was amazing because it was by FC Dallas. It just meant like the world to me,” Lacey said.

“I was like, wow, I can come back home and I can play in Frisco, play at Toyota Stadium and I mean it just was amazing.”

Lacey was the third forward added to the team via the draft after the club selected Indiana University’s Herbert Endeley and Ryan Wittenbrink in the first and second rounds. The trio will report to pre-season camp next month, with the likelihood of those players seeing playing time with North Texas SC, and FC Dallas, sporting an MLS Next Pro team.

MLS Next Pro, the United States’ third tier league system, just completed its first season this year.

Lacey will be joining an FC Dallas team that finished third in the Western Conference, falling to Austin FC in the Western Conference semi-finals.

daniel.wheeler@gleanerjm.com