Brek Shea

Brek Shea with a young fan in 2009

Dane Brekken " Brek " Shea (born 28 February 1990 in College Station, Texas) is an American soccer player of Norwegian descent, who plays for English club Stoke City in the Premier League since the winter of 2013.

The versatile Shea, who can play both defensive as well as offensive positions, was appointed to the U.S. A-National Team in 2008 and 2010, and arrived on October 12, 2010 in a friendly match against Colombia on his first international cap.

• 2.1 with the Texans FC
• 2.2 with the U -20 U.S.

Career

Career start in Texas

After Shea had gathered at the Brazos Christian School in Bryan, Texas first experience in the football field, he came to the Bryan High School, where he was also active in the school football team. After his high school career, he played for the Texans FC, ​​part of the Dallas Texans Soccer Club, which is one turn to one of the United States of the most successful training clubs. With the team he won four times in a row the state championship and came about the same time, when he came to the Texans FC, ​​at the Bradenton Academy. In the existing 1999 funding institution of the U.S. U-17 National team, he finally was active from 2005 to 2007. After that, he found himself in October 2007 to England, where he completed a trial with Bolton Wanderers. This should not be his only experience with the English football, because in the following year, made ​​more talent scouts, including Manchester United and Fulham FC, on the way to the United States to the midfield talent to watch. After emerging from the Texans FC in 2008 followed for Shea beginning of 2008, the admission to the joint venture Generation Adidas.

As the 2nd pick for FC Dallas

Around the same time Shea was drafted on the MLS SuperDraft 2008 in the first round as the second pick behind Chance Myers to FC Dallas. This transfer was regarded as quite a surprise, since SuperDraft often predominantly players to bring forward from a university football team in MLS. After 30 March 2008 for the first time in a league match for FC Dallas sat on the bench but did not play, he was on 20 April at another match against CD Chivas USA for the first time in Major League Soccer employed. 2-0 away win, he came on in the 86th minute for Blake Wagner and saw only four minutes later because of foul play, the yellow card. After another brief appearance on 1 June 2008 in the 1-2 defeat against the Colorado Rapids Shea sat in a further three league games without the use of his team on the bench. The rest of the season he spent in the reserve team of the club with gaming operations in the now-defunct MLS Reserve Division or had to pause due to a meniscus surgery in his right knee.

In the game of 2009, the trained midfielder came though frequently used, but still could not muster the ambition to a regular player and brought it as only four missions over the entire game. Overall, it was used in 2009 in 19 league games in which he gave four assists for his teammates. He made ​​the first Assist on 7 June 2009 in a 2-2 home draw against the San Jose Earthquakes as he prepared Kenny Cooper's goal for a 2-2 draw. As in the previous season did not go especially for FC Dallas in the regular season of 2009. However, this should change in Major League Soccer in 2010, when he finished the season in third place in the Western Conference with the team. Shea was employed in 25 league games in which he acted very aggressively, scoring five goals and four more prepared for his teammates. He made his first professional league goal on 15 May 2010 against the very young club Philadelphia Union when he scored in the 1-0 lead 13 minutes later for a 1-1 draw. In the game year 2011, Shea was able to expand its power as an offensive player yet and also quickly became a regular in the attack range of his club. In previously (Stand: August 2, 2011) 22 completed games, he brought it on nine hits, with whom he ranks behind Thierry Henry and Landon Donovan (each eleven goals) on the third place in the league -wide scoring charts, as well as an Assist

Stoke City

31 January 2013 Shea moved abroad and signed for Stoke City Football Club of the English Premier League, where he signed a contract until the end of the season 2016/2017 in Europe. His first league game for his new club he made on 23 February of the same year, when he came on as a substitute against Fulham in the 24th minute.

Internationally

First international experience gained Shea in the U.S. U-17 national team, for which he was set up in 2006 for the first time in official international matches. His (albeit unofficial ) debut for the U-17 national team, he gave in February 2006 as he stood in a 1-1 draw against the U-21 national team of Trinidad and Tobago from the start on the course. His first official goal for the U -17 U.S. finally succeeded him on 14 May 2006 when he scored the winning goal in a 2-1 success over the age colleague from Jamaica. In the year after his actual national debut Shea was appointed to the 21 -man squad who took part in the U-17 football World Cup 2007 in South Korea. There he was brought on, among other things in the group match against Tajikistan in the group after 71 minutes for Fuad Ibrahim. The game against the age colleagues from Tajikistan, which was also the only one for Shea in this World Cup finals at the same time was almost lost at the end with 3:4. After more than 19 appearances for the U.S. U- 17 team ended Shea's time in the U-17 team and he was inducted in the same year in the U-18 and the U -20 team.

After a rather insignificant time in the U-18 National Team Shea came into the training camps of the U-20 team in the preseason games for the Junior World Cup in 2007 in Canada for the first time for the U -20 in his home country for use. The greatest successes came with the team, however, only in 2009, when he participated with the team at the Junior World Cup 2009 in Egypt. Previously, he took with the team for which he briefly appeared even as team captain, including the Milk Cup in 2008 in Northern Ireland part. Qualified for the World Cup, the team had. Mainly by its second place in the CONCACAF Youth Championship 2009, which was also attended Shea At the World Cup finals in Egypt Shea was eventually used in all three group matches of his team, but could not avoid the early withdrawal of the team from the current competition.

After he among other things, with the U-23 national team of the United States traveled to France in 2008 to Toulon Tournament and there also came to his missions, he was appointed for the first time in the national team of his native country in the same year. This happened during a qualifying match for the 2010 World Cup, when it was called by national team coach Bob Bradley in June 2008 in the short term in the 19 -man squad, which was supposed to start in the second qualifying round against Barbados. In the game, just a week after the U.S. record win ( 8-0 ) took place in the first leg against Barbados, Shea did not ultimately used and had to let other players go first. The following year, the all-rounder finished his time in the U.S. U-20 national team with four goals from twelve completed internationals. It then took until October 2010 until Shea was re-appointed in the senior national team of the United States. He was brought from the still reigning national coach Bob Bradley for two friendlies against Poland and Colombia in the national team.

After he still had no use against Poland, he gave on 12 October 2010 in the friendly match against Colombia his senior team debut for his country. In the game, which ended in a goalless draw and where another American made ​​his national team debut with Eric Lichaj, Shea played from the beginning and was replaced at half-time break by Clint Dempsey. With its use Brek Shea is the first -born in the 1990s American football player who has come for the A national team of the United States for use.

Achievements

With the Texans FC

• 4 state championship: 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008

With the U -20 U.S.

• 2nd place in the CONCACAF Junior Championships 2009

Family / Private

Brek Shea, whose ancestors come from Norway, was born in 1990 as the mean of five children of Charles and Kirsten Shea. In addition to two older brothers, he also has two younger sisters. His father Charles once visited the Virginia Tech, where he was also active in the football team.