Born in the outskirts of Lusaka, Zambia, Charles Renken in 2003 moved to Edwardsville, Illinois, where he joined his older brother, who had been adopted by the Renken family. Charles, whom the family adopted two years later, joined Metro United at age 10 and immediately impressed, to say the least. He joined the U.S. U-17 Residency in Bradenton, Florida in 2007, was widely hailed as a future star, and also played for the U.S. U-20s.

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