Former local soccer star Magee starting to shine once more

Mike Magee scored another goal this weekend.

Remember him? As a kid growing up in Elmhurst, Chicago and Long Grove, Magee was one of the best American soccer prospects.

After a year at St. Viator, he headed to Florida at age 15 to train and attend school in U.S. Soccer's residency program with the U-17 national team. He was a first-round MLS draft pick by the team then known as the New York/New Jersey MetroStars, now the Red Bulls.

And then he disappeared for a few years, the victim of injuries. Finally, in the middle of this summer, Magee got his health and his groove back.

Even this season hasn't been easy. Though he has 5 goals and an assist in 22 games, he didn't play in New York's recent trip to Chicago, the result of yet another freak injury, an infection in his arm from a turf burn.

Yes, it's been like that for Mike Magee as a professional. His career has yet to meet expectations, his or anyone else's.

"Not yet," he said. "I'm still young. I just turned 24 (in September). I've had a tough injury the past couple of years, which has slowed a lot of things, but I still have a lot of time to grow and a lot of things to learn. But I think I'll accomplish most of my goals."

The main injury resulted in MCL reconstructive surgery. After some misdiagnoses, "it turned out to be about two years of not playing and kind of heartache. I'm back now, though."

He's back, though for a while he had to wonder if he would be back with this team.

"I feel pretty lucky to still be on the team, to be honest with you," Magee said, noting the Red Bulls' three coaching changes while he was injured, five total in his six years as a professional. "I'm finally fit, finally healthy, finally happy. Now is the best I've felt in about a little over two years."

"At one point he figured out that he had two directions to go," New York technical director Jeff Agoos said, "and he worked very hard to get back into form."

Instead of forgetting about the young forward, the Red Bulls' coaches kept him around, all of them, and their faith is being rewarded. He's back, even if they aren't.

"Them keeping me was definitely a pretty good compliment," he said.

An even better compliment would be a call-up to the senior national team. That will take still more time and hard work to get to that level for the first time since 2004, however.

"For Mike, he needs to set his sights on doing well in MLS first and foremost, and if the national team comes it comes," said Agoos, a former national team defender. "There's possibilities, but I think as a player you don't want to look too far ahead of yourself. You need to concentrate on the next game coming up."

That's easier now than it ever was before. Though he's a huge fan of all Chicago sports teams - except for a certain MLS team, of course - Magee is enjoying his time in New York and hopes to be around a while. He admits to no regrets.

"I get to wear shorts every day to work, I play a kids' game. I have zero complaints," Magee said. "I truly play a game that I love. My job is to play soccer, which is a dream come true."

oschwarz@dailyherald.com