A little less than a year ago, Craig Rocastle had reached a fork in the road.
Out
of contract with Sporting Kansas City, the defensive midfielder had
began training with the Missouri Comets, staying in game condition and
beginning to learn the intricacies of the indoor game.
“I
just asked Leo Gibson, who used to train with Sporting KC during the
offseason, if I could come down and train and see the boys and be
involved in some kind of footballing activities,” Rocastle said. “Then
they finally let me do it, and I turned around and said ‘I’ll play’, and
they didn’t believe me at first, but then they realized I was a bit
serious because I wanted to stay in Kansas City because my girlfriend
and I were expecting our baby girl, so that’s how it all came about.”
Unfortunately
for the Comets, as soon as Rocastle had put pen to paper, an offer for
the now 31-year-old came in from Greek club Thrasyvoulos. A clause in
his contract allowed him to depart, and the opportunity to continue his
outdoor career proved too tempting. After helping the club avoid
relegation, though, Rocastle returned to Kansas City, and the interest
between he and the Comets resumed. While advances came again from
Greece, with his new-born daughter having arrived, Rocastle decided to
stay in the place he now calls home.
“It
does feel nice,” he said. “I had a big decision to make, because I
could have gone back to Europe, gone back to my Greek team, and then
after about three weeks of headache and deciding what to do, the way the
organization of the Comets treated me, I would have been a fool to say
no. I wanted to stay here for a number of reasons, and I’m grateful
they’ve given me that opportunity. They were very patient with me on
making this decision.”
A
man who has often been on the move, Rocastle’s career has seen him
signed to clubs such as Chelsea in the English Premier League, Hibernian
in the Scottish Premier League, and other historic clubs such as
Sheffield Wednesday. Looking for a new challenge, and persuaded by
friends, he joined the Kansas City Wizards, as they were then known, in
2010, as the club began its path towards its current success.
“The
option was would you like to go to America and play out there,”
Rocastle said. “Out of the options I had, KC were the front-runners in
terms of how much the communicated with myself and my agent to get me
out here. I’ve always felt you should go where you feel most wanted, and
they definitely made me feel that way to come to Kansas City.”
Since
arriving, Rocastle has seen the transformation the city and area has
undergone in terms of soccer’s stature. Now with Sporting Kansas City’s
new home, the club’s victory in the U.S. Open Cup and upcoming trip to
the MLS Playoffs, the sport has reached a higher profile than ever
before.
“When
I first came the likes of Davy Arnaud and Jack Jewsbury were telling me
how much it’s grown since they’ve first started, and in my eyes since
2010, it’s huge,” Rocastle said. “To see in the two years, and now this
third year, it’s huge. There are so many more soccer clubs, there are
people playing it everywhere, there’s what I call soccer addicts in
terms of parents and children, and that’s huge for the city itself.”
The
Comets are also playing a role, with the side attracting more than
4,000 fans a season ago and a remarkable 8,726 for their game at the
Sprint Center. Now with a re-tooled lineup, Rocastle is hoping he can
help the club build on its success since its return to the MISL.
“I’m
expecting to get a lot of stick,” he said. “I know people are going to
be on me, being a newcomer coming into the league, but the Comets have a
great bunch of guys down there who are very experienced, who know how
other teams play. Ever since I trained with them for the first time in
December 2011, they’ve just shown and told me everything of what to
expect and how it’s going to come, when it’s going to come, and it’s
taught me a lot.”
Comets
coach Kim Roentved is certainly pleased to have the Englishman on
board. Bringing his outdoor experience, and acting as a bridge between
the defense and midfield for many of his former teams, Rocastle’s vision
and ability to organize will certainly be an asset for the Comets this
season.
“He’s
such a smart player,” Roentved said. “He knows when to go forward and
take a chance, but he also knows we need to be organized at the back
before he can do that, so being a defensive midfielder outdoor and as
smart as he is, I don’t think it’s going to be a problem with him
adjusting whatsoever.”
And
with Rocastle having been out of competitive action since May, he’s
ready to start the new season, and begin his walk down a new road.
“For
me, it’s been the longest time I haven’t played,” he said. “It’s been a
long offseason, so for me it’s huge. I met my new girlfriend here, I’m
going to have more family around watching me, so it’s definitely a huge
occasion for me. My daughter’s going to be there, not that she
understands, but it’s huge for me personally. “
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