By OSU Force Academy
The first steps in Kris Twardek’s new soccer life have proven highly successful.
The long-time OSU Force player moved to London, England in the summer to join Millwall FC’s professional club academy, and then made his international soccer debut for the Czech Republic’s under-17 national team in October.
“It’s stressful and it’s hard to be away from home, and I miss my teammates as well, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything,” Twardek says. “The opportunity here is great, and this is what I always wanted.”
The Millwall rookie began as a member of the reserve side for his club’s U18 Professional League team and has since received several call-ups. In mid-October, Twardek scored the winning goal as Millwall emerged from a 1-0 deficit for a 2-1 win to record their fifth victory of the season.
“In clubs here, it’s non-stop training, and they’re training against the best players,” the talented striker describes. “The environment is unbelievable and you learn so much in such a short period of time.”
Helps Czechs to European elite
Although he grew up in Arnprior, Twardek’s family owns Czech roots, which led to his opportunity to dress for the Czech Republic’s U17 team for European Championship qualifiers.
The 16-year-old started in wins over Israel and Liechtenstein to secure Czech Republic’s place in the elite round of the 2014 UEFA European Under-17 Championship, to be held in Malta, and came on as a second-half substitute in a loss to France in the three games of Group 3 qualifying.
It’s the latest feat in a remarkable season for Twardek, who started the year by scoring seven goals in a five-game finale with his long-time Force U16 team. His OSU mates then went on to make history this season, becoming the first-ever Ontario Youth Soccer League champions from the Ottawa region.
Proud of OSU roots
Although he didn’t get to share in his squad’s triumphant moment, Twardek still holds many special memories from his time with OSU, which began at the U9 level.
“I loved every minute of it,” he recounts. “The teammates, coaching and opportunities are incomparable to other clubs.”
Overall, Twardek is loving the experience of playing against top European competition and chasing his dream – which continues to inch closer – of becoming a professional soccer player.
“It’s really surreal,” notes Twardek, who curiously never played for Team Ontario, let alone Team Canada, while he plied his trade locally. “I hope that a lot of players from OSU will be in these same situations, and I’m sure there will be.”
OSU thoroughly enjoyed watching Twardek’s growth while under the club’s wing, and is now thrilled to see his progress abroad, indicates OSU President Bill Michalopulos.
“To get a player from Ottawa – not a well-known soccer environment – to a professional club in England and onto the international stage for a country with a strong history in the game like the Czech Republic, is obviously something we’re really, really proud of,” Michalopulos signals. “Congratulations to Kris on these latest achievements, and the OSU family wishes him more success in the future.”