Drake Hadeed plays for something bigger than himself
'Carrying my last name on the back of my shirt is a big thing for me', the teenager says
Learning to drive, playing lots of FIFA and 2K, and adjusting from T9 texting to a full keyboard … that’s what I was doing at 16. Drake Hadeed might be doing some of that (other than the T9 thing) but he is also doing something most teenagers aren’t - playing professional soccer.
I had the chance to connect with the Carolina Core midfielder this summer to talk about growing up in Antigua, moving to England, representing his national team as a teenager, and what he hopes for the future!
The Kid from Antigua
Drake enjoyed growing up on a small Caribbean island, “It was amazing, all my family are there. Definitely super island life … so everything is quite laid back. I wouldn’t want to grow up anywhere else. It was a blessing to grow up there” he says.
One of his uncles got him a soccer ball for his third birthday. Once he got that ball at his feet, “It’s just been history” he said. A few years later he joined a local club, North Coast FC, and this is where he developed and fell in love with the beautiful game.
He enjoyed playing with his friends at the club and the rivalries they built with other clubs on the island. He explained, “That built a really competitive spirit within me and I really enjoyed that time there.” During his time at North Coast FC, at just 6 or 7 years old, Drake figured out he wanted to play professionally.
“From the moment I started to play with North Coast, my dreams have always been to make it to the top … so from a young age, I put my head down to get to work to accomplish that goal.”
Drake’s ability and drive began to catch the attention of those outside of Antigua. By the time he was 9, he was spending his summers in England playing with a grassroots club called Ace Academy. This was a game-changer for Drake, “I would play with the older players … and that helped build almost a mentality of, you know, it doesn't matter how old you are, you can dominate at a higher level. And that helped really push my development” he says.
Before long, the kid from the Caribbean was making his mark in England and some of the biggest clubs in the country took notice. When he was 12, West Ham United invited him to an eight-week trial - it was a dream come true!
Signing with West Ham United
While every youth player feels the pressure of a Premier League trial, Drake faced an added layer of difficulty … he’s not British. Daniel Rogerson, president of Drake’s boyhood club, explained: “This is such a massive achievement in itself because West Ham under-13s have 18 spots available in their squad; in England alone, there are literally thousands of boys who have that dream to be where Drake is today, and it’s extremely difficult and that’s putting it mildly, to get looked at, to get a trial is difficult.”
This did not phase Drake, “I always have full confidence in my ability and I did at a young age so going in I had the mindset that I was going to get signed that I was the best player there” he explained. The highlight of Drake’s trial with West Ham was a goal against Arsenal’s academy. It wasn’t just a goal though, he fired a strike from between the 18-yard box and the halfway line!
I asked Drake about this goal and he grinned from ear to ear, “You see a smile on my face because that was an amazing memory. That solidified the signing for sure. I was doing well in training, etc. But that was an amazing moment” he said.
After that performance, Drake signed with West Ham’s academy just a week into the trial. He became the first Antiguan in a decade to sign for an England-based club! On making history, “It was huge for me, huge for my family because I don't just do this for myself. I really do this to represent my family and represent my country. So it was a very proud moment for sure.”
Making history also meant leaving home and leaving family behind. This is one of the most difficult things to do in life as an adult, even more so for a kid. Drake expanded on that and his time in England:
“Like anything, you have highs and lows … I can say it was very hard for me because I was very young and I was away from my family. So I was in England by myself. My family would come to visit time to time. But the homesickness was definitely a big thing for me.
But I think that allowed me to become mentally stronger. And that translated to the field. I would say the highs were the experience, going from Antigua to a big football country such as England. I developed a lot mentally and most definitely on the field.”
After three years in England with West Ham, Drake ran into some issues with obtaining a work permit (something that many players around the world face - a topic I am planning to cover in the future). Because he also had a U.S. passport, looking for opportunities there was his logical next step.
Representing the national team
Before we jump to Drake’s time in the U.S., he was accomplishing something else during his days in England - playing for the Antigua and Barbuda national team! Many around Concacaf first heard of Drake in 2022. News of a 14-year-old playing at the U-20 championship in Honduras quickly made its way around the internet.
Although it wasn’t a success on the pitch for the team, Drake shared, “I think that was a big moment for me. I was always playing up, but that was kind of the first time that I played up on a big stage … I think that gave me more confidence in myself to know that I can do this even though I was 14 at the time. It was a great experience and really good for me and my development.”
Anytime I get a chance to connect with players representing their national teams, hearing about the first time they put on the kit with the country’s crest never gets old. Drake explained, “It's definitely a proud feeling. You work so hard for moments like that, that when you put on that shirt, it almost gives you chills.” That surreal almost dreamlike feeling is consistent for players across the board.
Just a year later, Drake was called into the senior national team for the first time at 15. He knew this opportunity also came with the need to show he belonged: “Getting the call-up was amazing. A proud moment for me and my family. But I had to go in the mindset that I had to show my teammates that I was capable of playing with them at that high level. I had something to go in there and prove. And I think I came out of that stronger, better, and solidified myself within the national team setup” he said.
Speaking to Drake, you can tell how much he loves and appreciates where he comes from. The nature, the food, the people … it all means a lot to him! He shared about combating misconceptions about his nation and the Caribbean more widely. As with many dual nationals, there exists a natural tension. A love for where you’re from (or where your family is from) and opportunities with another nation that may also feel like home. This has been a theme for the last several stories I have published (see below).
The same is true for Drake Hadeed. Opportunities exist for him to represent the United States or Trinidad & Tobago and those talks are in very early stages. Drake is not in a rush though - at 16 he still has a lot of time to develop and weigh the options of this very important decision. I asked him about this and you can tell how tough this is to navigate:
“You know, it's definitely tough because there's no feeling like putting on the shirt for Antigua and Barbuda … I just have to go with my heart, you know, that's something very personal and meaningful to me. But we'll see. We'll see what comes … It's time to take a step back to kind of scope out the situation and once I make my decision, it's full commitment from there.”
No matter what Drake ultimately decides to do with his national team career, I will bring back words I wrote after Keyrol Figueroa decided to represent the US:
“The right decision as fans of the beautiful game is to support the player and to support whatever decision they decide is best for them and their future. The weight that dual nationals have to carry is one that few will ever understand. These weights are carried off the pitch from a young age at school and at home. These weights follow onto the pitch for players as they have to think through these decisions earlier and earlier. So while fans, including myself, will always have thoughts and reactions to a player’s decision when it comes to which country they represent, let us all remember to be mindful of how nuanced these decisions are, to support the player, and to be thankful for the ability for today’s athletes to have a choice when previous generations didn’t have the opportunity.”
Transition to the U.S.
After leaving England and searching for club opportunities in the U.S., Drake landed with one of the premier teams in the region, the Columbus Crew. In 2023 he appeared with both the U-15 and U-17 teams and settled into life in the States. We joked a bit about the weather in Columbus not being the best but something that London also prepared him for - both were a big change from the Caribbean weather he grew up with.
On his time in Columbus, Drake shared: “That was a good time for me. I think the main thing I got out of that was adapting to the U.S. style of football … lifestyle on and off the field … That was a really important time for me to get adapted to the U.S.”
That helped lay the foundation for Drake to take the next leap in his career. Last fall, he signed his first professional contract with Carolina Core FC (of MLS Next Pro) at just 15 years old! It was a dream come true for Drake and brought another level of motivation, “It was a big milestone, a big step, a proud moment again for my family and also to represent Antigua. But I think it was almost like one of those other milestones where it's ‘look you've gotten here, now the focus is to get to the next level.’ So my mind quickly switched on what's the next step but in the moment it was an amazing feeling” he says.
At Carolina Core, Drake is surrounded by Concacaf legends: Eddie Pope (Chief Sporting Officer), Roy Lassiter (Manager), Amado Guevera (Assistant Manager), and Donovan Ricketts (Goalie Coach). This is part of what attracted Drake to the new team, “So many good coaches. They're also ex-professionals. So to learn off of those guys, you can't get much better than that … I've learned a ton, I can say that. I came in in February and I do feel like a completely different player than I was five months ago. So that's just credit to them and to the organization” he shared.
In addition to signing his first professional contract, Drake scored his first professional goal with the ultimate hustle play in the historic U.S. Open Cup, pressing the defender and blocking a clearance into the goal (beating legendary keeper Bill Hamid in the process)
On that goal, Drake shared: “A great moment, another milestone for the club, for myself, my family, and my country. It was a great feeling. It was definitely a hustle play. So when I put my foot out there and I saw the ball fly, it was like slow motion.” I asked Drake if he would tell people that he was going for goal when he stuck his foot out, to which he replied, “I don't know if I could play that one off” … I appreciated the humility. At 16, I would have let everyone know it was on purpose.
Although he’s already achieved so much at a young age, Drake remains hungry and eager to learn and doesn’t view being young as pressure but as a privilege. He shared: “It's all about getting to the next level. I'm young, but I do have big dreams and aspirations. So that's my main goal personally … I wouldn't say I feel the pressure. I think it's more motivation because if you can dominate at a young age, then the sky's the limit.”
On his goals with Carolina Core, “For the club, I think we've grown a lot since the beginning of the season. And I just want to bring success and help the team out, help my teammates, the coaches, because we have an amazing fan base, an amazing organization. So I think this club deserves a lot … I would just say for the Carolina Core fans, keep coming out and supporting us because we're here to put on a show for them and to make High Point and the area around High Point proud.”
If you’re in the Carolinas, especially near High Point, be sure to check the team out as they are in the final stretch of the season!
Playing for something bigger than himself
Throughout my time with Drake, one theme was very clear … he doesn’t play for himself. He is confident but doesn’t have an ego. He has big dreams and big goals, but they aren’t just for himself. People and places are very important to him. When he was away in England he shared about how that distance made him appreciate his family that much more and it helped him appreciate the time they do spend together. He is very close with his siblings and parents.
We closed out time out with a question I usually ask players and coaches, “what is your why?” I always want to know what motivates a person, what makes them tick, what exists below the surface that really matters to them. Before I could finish asking the question, Drake had his answer and it was from the heart:
“Definitely, I would say, it's to make my family proud, especially my grandparents and my grandfather. Both sides, they're both immigrants. My mom's side of the family, I call them Abuelo and my Agui, they came from Cuba to the US. And then on my dad's side, my Jiddu and Taita, that's what we call grandfather and grandmother in Arabic, because you know my dad's side of the family is Arabic. They also migrated from Syria to the islands. It's to represent them, you know. Carrying my last name on the back of my shirt is a big thing for me. And it's all about making that Hadeed name proud for sure.”
Regardless of where Drake’s career takes him, he will carry his people and places with him. For some, that can be a crushing weight, but for Drake it’s a driving force! I am excited to see how he continues to develop here in the Carolinas and for what comes next.
Fans and pundits must remember, he is just 16 years old. We have an obsession with finding the next prodigy (Grant Wahl shared a lot about this in his Freddy Adu series). We put our expectations and aspirations on young athletes still finding their footing. I’m not saying we shouldn’t have high hopes for Drake, it’s very clear he has them for himself, I just hope that we continue to support athletes as they develop and grow!