SINGAPORE – 2023 started out as a grim year for Danial Crichton after an injury sidelined him for most of the Singapore Premier League season and saw him miss the SEA Games.
The offer came about after the 1.80m centre-back joined a sports agency which sent highlight reels he compiled to various coaches in the US. Crichton, who has an international baccalaureate diploma, also had to go through interviews. Crichton, who represented Singapore at the Under-15 and U-18 levels, had offers from two other NCAA-level colleges, but knew that going to UTRGV will take him a step closer to one of his lifelong dreams – to play professionally in America’s top division Major League Soccer.
“Obviously there was also the SEA Games which everyone wants to be part of, so I was disappointed not to contribute to the team. It was mentally challenging not being able to train much this season because of the injury.” “I just want to take it step by step. It’s a slow process because obviously there’s players who have been here for longer.”Crichton will be joining fellow Singaporean athletes such as Gan Ching Hwee , Shannon Tan and Jerall Yasin who are also competing in NCAA Div 1 while pursuing their studies in the US.