Vermont native Selmir Miscic, 15, signs pro soccer deal

Two years ago, Selmir Miscic and his family moved from Colchester to Royersford, Pennsylvania, to chase the highest levels of professional soccer in the United States.

Miscic saw one of his goals realized last week.

The 15-year-old signed his first pro contract on Sept. 12, inking a deal with Bethlehem Steel FC, the official affiliate of the Philadelphia Union of Major League Soccer.

Miscic is the youngest signing in the history of the Steel organization, which competes in the United Soccer League. 

"As a young soccer player, it’s something every kid dreams about, to one day sign a professional contract," said Miscic when reached by phone Thursday. "I felt I was ready and I felt I deserved it. It took a lot of hard work and sacrifice. My whole focus has been soccer. I was ready."

Miscic and his twin brother, Arnel, joined the Philadelphia Union Academy following their move from Vermont in 2016.

"We wanted to move from Vermont because of the cold. But at the same time, they wanted to move somewhere to play soccer," father Sanel Miscic said. "It was part for them and part we wanted to get away from the cold.

"But when you think about it, we love Vermont, we are proud. We always mention Vermont."

Sanel Miscic and his wife, Selma Miscic, fled Bosnia and found refuge in Vermont in 1998. They started anew in Burlington, gave birth to twins in 2003, and lived in Colchester until they made a family decision to head to Royersford, some 30 miles northwest of Philly.

Sanel Miscic, a club player in Bosnia and who played professionally in Germany's third division, said he's very proud of Selmir's pro deal.

"You can’t describe. It’s something when you think how many kids play soccer in U.S. and how many kids want to be professionally — it’s just amazing," the father said.

Two of Selmir Miscic's former coaches in Vermont said the signing is a major breakthrough. The bulk of Miscic's training in Vermont came under Hugh Brown, the founder and coach of Synergy FC.

"The fact that it happened this year, it’s a shock,"  said Brown, who coached Miscic for five years. "This not something just for Vermont, this is unusual for the United States, if people understand that perspective."

Shane Bufano, who coached Miscic for about a year-and-a-half at the now-defunct Vermont Athletic Academy, compared this signing to a Vermonter earning a minor-league baseball deal.

"Nobody (in Vermont) gets signed to a professional soccer deal. He’s actually getting paid to play," said Bufano, now the head coach at Norther Vermont University-Johnson.

Brown added Miscic is a clinical finisher who has the "it factor."

"He’s very relaxed and very fluid in the box. He doesn’t try to overdo anything," Brown said. "He has this feeling for the game and not a lot of players have it."

Last season for the Union Academy's U15 squad, Miscic, a midfielder/forward, tallied 33 goals in all competitions and made 26 appearances. In 2018, the 5-foot-8, 135-pound Miscic has scored twice for the Union's U17 team.

“Selmir is an exciting attacking player who has a lot of potential,” Steel coach Brendan Burke said in a news release. “His play at the Academy has been exceptional and he has showed well in training at the Steel level. We are delighted that he has chosen to turn professional.”

Miscic just wrapped a weeklong training camp with the U.S. U16 national team at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida. 

Contact Alex Abrami at 660-1848 or aabrami@freepressmedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @aabrami5.