Episode 13: Jay Demerit
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There are currently some 13,000 players in the youth system of English premier league clubs. Of these 13000 players – the best youth players in the country - less than 1% - way less - will ever see the field for a premier league side.
Now if you adjust those odds for a 23 year old American – who plays in the English 9th division – who has to work odd jobs to make ends meet – well the odds – they become much longer than 1%.
But that is what Jay Demerit did – he began his professional career in England playing at parks for no pay and within 2 years he was playing at Wembley Stadium in front of 80,000 people. He went from guarding guys who would have beers at halftime, to guarding Wayne Rooney at Old Trafford.
His story is truly remarkable and as far as American soccer careers go – there are few that are more screenplay worthy than Jay Demerits.