By DAN KARELL
Kai Koreniuk has parlayed a strong season with Vitesse Arnheim’s academy into a professional contract with the club.
The Under-17 U.S. Men’s National Team forward, who holds dual citizenship with the Netherlands and the USA, penned a three-year deal with Vitesse on Friday, just around a year after joining the club following a successful trial. The 16-year-old was born and raised in Florida, living in Ormond Beach, Fla. most recently, but thanks to his Dutch mother, was able to bypass FIFA regulations and sign a contract in Europe earlier than most Americans could.
“This is my second year at Vitesse and I want to perform as well as possible,” Koreniuk said in a statement on Vitesse’s website. “I would certainly hope to get twenty goals and finish in the top three in the Under-17 league.”
Last season, Koreniuk began with the Vitesse U-16s before being promoted to the U-17s, scoring a total of 15 goals between the two sides, according to the club. In an interview with the Orlando Sentinel, Koreniuk said he hoped to play this coming season again with the U-17s and possibly move up to the U-19s and reserves in the future.
Koreniuk most recently played with the U-17 USMNT at the Open Nordic Cup, where he scored his first goal for his country. The U.S. finished in sixth place following a 4-3 defeat to Finland. Koreniuk was also called up by Holland’s U-16s for a training camp last winter.
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What do you think of this news? Glad to see Koreniuk latch on to a European club? Do you expect him to continue to play with U.S. youth squads?
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