Sporting KC academy keeper signs at Atletico Madrid

• by Soccer America , Dec 28, 2012

[AMERICANS ABROAD] Goalie Jacole Turner, who began the fall season playing for the Sporting Kansas City U-17-18s in the Development Academy, had quite a trip to Europe. The keeper flew to Croatia to try out at Dinamo Zagreb and while there was informed that a tryout had been set up for him at Real Madrid. The next thing he knew he was signed by ... Atletico Madrid and placed on its "C" team for top youth prospects.

“My dad [Johnel Turner] had a friend and my dad’s friend talked to him about having a tryout out there," he told the Lee's Summit Journal upon his return home for Christmas. "It’s one of the best teams in the world. I was in Croatia and I didn’t get signed for the next year, so I was just sitting there thinking ‘What am I going to do?’ I was like, ‘Gosh, I don’t want to go back to America.’ So I was sitting there and my dad Skyped me and he was like ‘You have a tryout with Real Madrid tomorrow.’ I got to Madrid the next day and went to training. It was just crazy. Atletico came to me -- actually while I was playing with [Madrid-based Rayo] for like two weeks -- and offered me a contract. I signed and everything about five days ago. It’s not so much the team as it is the professional soccer part. It’s like crazy. I’m in Madrid playing professional soccer.”

Upon graduation in June 2012, Turner's original plans were to attend JC power Barton County Community College in Kansas.

Turner appeared in an MLS Reserve League match for Sporting KC in 2011 after being named an all-conference Development Academy pick for its U-15/16s. He was called into the first U.S. U-18 national team camp of the year in May.