​Charlie reaps rewards in USA with college soccer honours

​Charlie Wells, 20, grew up playing his football in Leighton Buzzard, spending more than 12 years with Leighton United up to U18 level.

He was also part of Luton Town’s youth development structure, before leaving Cedars Upper School to attend MK College’s football education programme and finally leaving England in 2022, accepting a soccer scholarship from Neosho College in Chanute, Kansas.

In Charlie’s first year as a Neosho ‘Freshman’ he was made captain of his college side, the team successful in winning their Conference Championship, before more team and personal honours followed in Charlie’s second and ‘sophomore’ year.

This season, Charlie’s college side again won their Conference Title and followed this up with winning their Regional Championship, before just failing at the last hurdle to reach America’s National Finals.

For his efforts and performances, Charlie was awarded the State Conference Defensive Player of the Year, but more significantly was named as one of the 11 players in the 23/24 NJCAA All America Soccer Team of the Year, selected from all 217 College Soccer Teams within the same NJCAA D2 funding category across the whole of the United States.

Charlie recently returned back to his home in Wing from Kansas to celebrate Christmas with his family.

On his Team of the Year accolade, he said: “It came as a bit of a surprise if I’m honest and although I knew I’d had a good season this year I never imagined I would have made the All America Team of the Year. Achieving this is a massive honour over in the States and something I’ll look back on with great memories in the future.”

As for his next steps, Charlie added: “Playing for Neosho over the past two years has given me a fantastic opportunity to see how football has developed over in America to a really high standard and has also given me the chance to visit the real America and not just the typical tourist venues.

"I’m hoping now to build on my successes at Neosho to open new doors and opportunities to provide me with the chance of transferring to a Senior College for another two or three years scholarship and continue to enjoy playing soccer and living college life over in America.”