As a young player at DC United, Jesus Salazar was barred from speaking to Wayne Rooney, but the Football Club midfielder credits his superstar ex-clubmate for awakening him to the dedication required to make the grade.
The American, who came to Hong Kong last summer, was 16 when he moved more than 2,000 kilometres from his San Diego home to join the Major League Soccer club in Washington.
Being separated from family gave Salazar his first insight into “what it takes” to play professionally.
“You’re away from home, competing with everyone else, and you have to fully commit,” the 23-year-old said. “I developed on the pitch … but I also turned into a man.”
Salazar was among a small core of DC United academy players bumped up to train with a first team that included ex-Manchester United forward Rooney, following his arrival from Everton in the summer of 2018.
“The coaches came in the locker room and told us, ‘you’re academy players, don’t speak to him, bother him, or interrupt him, unless he speaks to you’,” Salazar said. “We never exchanged a word, we showered together once, that was it.”
