Minnesota’s Cody Cropper on Trial at Leicester City FC

Inside Minnesota Soccer has been following the young career of 16-year-old Cody Cropper since last winter. USL Soccer.com originally had an article on Cropper who made the honorable mention list of Minnesota State High School League Coaches Associations All State Team as a 15 year old. IMS covered that story and interviewed Cropper after his trial with Wolverhampton.

Then Cody received an out of the blue invitation to join US Soccer’s residency program in Bradenton, Florida. Cropper accepted the offer and spent the remainder of the school year there, playing with the 3 other keepers and 36 field players enrolled in the invitation-only elite residency program. When he left the USSF U-17 program for summer break, goalkeeping coach Paul Grafer told Cropper that he would be invited back this coming school year.

Now IMS has learned that Cody Cropper has been in England since July 20 with English Championship League team, Leicester City FC. The 6’4″ goalkeeper is at the English midland city since being invited by the team early this summer. The young keeper’s father Joe Cropper, who lives in Atlanta, told IMS Cody is there to try for a position with the youth academy team. According to Joe Cropper and his mother Lezlie Edson, the trial with Leicester came about because of the earlier trial with Wolverhampton FC.

Cody had tried out with several English teams last fall including West Ham. His trial went well with Wolverhampton but when Cody was scheduled to come back for a second trial on invitation, he was also invited to join the USSF U-17 residency camp. The choice was difficult but Cody chose the U-17 camp in Bradenton, FL.

Joe Cropper told IMS that he and Cody’s mother do everything they can to explain the options Cody has and the ramifications those decisions can have, but ultimately they let Cody make the decision. Joe Cropper said the primary goal for Cody is to play for the US National team. Knowing that, it’s easy to understand why Cropper chose a sure thing like the U-17 National team at the IMG Academy over a second trail with Wolverhampton.

However, as Cropper’s parents explained, the decision was not without consequences. The USSF Residency program would not allow Cody to go back over to England for another trial at that time as they had a slot to fill and needed Cody on the squad as they prepared for several competitions. In the meantime, Wolverhampton badly needed another youth keeper so they sent their chief scout, Tony Lacey elsewhere and the Wolves found and chose another keeper.

However, through that contact with Wolverhampton came a new opportunity with Leicester City FC. The Wolves scout retired during this period of time, but Leicester’s scout Bill Wall was old friends with Lacey and when he was looking for a keeper he gave the former Wolves scout a call. Lacey was evidently impressed with Cropper as he told Wall about him and recommended they give him a trial.

The Croppers learned of Leicester’s interest in April when Wall called the family. Cropper went over for his first trial in early May and was at the club for 8 days, but all did not go perfectly. Cody’s training sessions were not that stellar and before he could play in a game Wall had to travel to Ireland to scout another player, missing Cropper’s performance in a game against Reading FC in which they (Leicester) won 4-2. Cropper was reported to have had a very good game. Lezlie Edson felt it might have been the jet lag that didn’t allow Cody good training sessions in the first several days of his trial.

Cody returned to Bradenton and finished up his year with the U-17 National Team. But back in Leicester, the coaching staff with goalkeeping coach Mike Stowell just didn’t feel things were adding up with Cody. There was too much disparity between Cody’s game and his training sessions. So the team asked him to return for another trial in July and August so they could see him for a longer duration of time.

The Croppers agreed and Cody found what the team wanted him to improve on. He finished up his year at Bradenton and then flew to his father’s home in Atlanta. Joe, being a former pro soccer player himself and a current coach, worked with Cody for a number of weeks, hitting him hundreds of balls a day and working on the things Leicester wanted Cody to improve on.

Cody returned home to Maple Grove, Minnesota for a few weeks before getting on another plane and heading back to England, birth place of his father and home of his grandmother. This time the Croppers made sure Cody arrived in England with plenty of time to acclimate himself. However, when Leicester got wind of the news that Cody was there early, they got a bit nervous and wanted to make sure he wasn’t in England for any other football reasons. So they asked Cody to report to training immediately, which he did.

While training with the academy team, Cody has also worked with the senior team and their goalkeepers a number of times. Leicester was promoted to the English League Championship at the end of last season and started their English league games this past weekend. Leicester won 2-1 over Swansea City.

Cody has also participated in 5 games for Leicester City FC. He first played an entire game in goal away against Reading FC, a game they won 4-2.  He also started and went 90 minutes in a game against Birmingham on July 25th which was another away game. Cropper was said to have pulled of some spectacular saves and Leicester won 3-1.

A few days later young Cropper was asked to play with Leicester in another away game, this time not for the academy team but with the U-18 reserves. Cropper sat on the bench until his team was up 6-0 over Oadby Town. Cropper was brought into the game at 75 minutes and kept the clean sheet for his team.

Cropper played again for the academy team in one more away match, this time at Derby County which his team drew 2-2.

He played again this past Saturday with the U-18 reserve side. He entered the game late with the score tied 0-0. Cropper pulled off several important saves to secure the draw that earned him praise from his coaching staff.

Cody will remain with Leicester for several more weeks and plans on returning home in mid August. Joe Cropper said they expect to hear word soon on Cody’s status with the team.

“We will see what happens and if his performance is good enough,” said Joe Cropper. “I told Cody the decision will be based purely on his performance and not on his reputation or who his parents know.  I told him, you’re on your own! You are there to sell yourself and it comes down to performance, attitude and how you behave on and off the field. I said you’re the one who has to train, you’re the one who has to play and you’ve got all the tools to be successful, the rest is up to you.”

Joe Cropper said Cody responded by telling him that he needn’t worry. I’ll do the best I can dad! Joe Cropper said proudly, “He’s got a great attitude.”

If Cropper is signed, he will be walking in the footsteps of one of US Soccer’s greatest goalkeepers to play the game, Kasey Keller. He played for Leicester City in 1997 through 1999 where he made 99 appearances. Keller helped the team win the League Cup in 97 and got them back again to the championship in 1999 only to lose in the final.