Today he’s making a living with a ball at his feet, but that was never a guarantee for the 23-year-old Atlanta midfielder.
While his love for soccer never faded, he knew he couldn’t put all his eggs in one basket. The professional route was a glorious but rare one, and because of that, Gressel always tried to combine school and soccer. His decision to attend Providence College in the United States stemmed from a setback at his club in Germany, but the fire inside him never flickered.
“I never really lost the drive I think to still get better at soccer, to work hard and see where it gets me.