Noel Caliskan: Portland Timbers draft pick "relieved" to be selected in first round
Noel Caliskan was one of three German talents to be drafted in the MLS Super Draft on Wednesday evening. The 22-year-old played for Fortuna Düsseldorf and 1. FC Köln in Germany before moving to Los Angeles three years ago to study and play for Loyola Marymount University. Drafted 15th overall by the Portland Timbers, Transfermarkt caught up with the central midfielder after the draft. “I have been waiting for that moment for days and weeks and was just super happy,” Caliskan said.
In the MLS Super Draft, clubs are allowed to select pre-registered college players and, with some exceptions, footballers who are currently playing in MLS Next Pro or one of the other lower divisions. “I was relieved when my name was called because I really wanted to be selected in the first round,” Caliskan said. Caliskan followed the draft from his home in Pulheim near Cologne. There, his mother organized a surprise party for family and friends. Around 30 to 40 people were in the family home following the draft way past midnight local time. “Most didn’t understand what was going on,” Caliskan said with a laugh.
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Because experts had him ranked highly, Caliskan assumed he would be drafted in the first round. Drafted between the 10th and 20th seemed realistic before the draft. “I knew that I would fall in the draft because I am not an American,” Caliskan said. MLS clubs have up to eight international slots, which can be traded, which means that some teams have more or fewer spots available for players without US citizenship or a green card. That the Timbers would draft him was a bit of a surprise for Caliskan. The midfielder thought that other clubs had more interest in him. “It was a cool moment,“ Caliskan said when he was finally drafted.
Caliskan moved from Germany to the United States when he was still only 18 to study. “I also wanted to play football at a high level,” Caliskan said. “The United States is definitely the right place for it, and the universities often have better infrastructures than the academies in Germany,” Caliskan said. The midfielder enjoyed his time in college and his team, the LMU Lions, graduating with a bachelor’s degree in marketing. “Moving there was one of the best decisions in my life,” Caliskan said. Being drafted does not mean that Caliskan will make the Portland Timbers. The club now has the exclusive rights to sign the German to a contract, but Caliskan will have to work his way into the squad first. “I don’t have much info at the moment,” Caliskan said. All he knows is that he will return to the States in January and start the preseason with the Timbers. The new season will start in February, and Portland will face Sporting Kansas City on matchday 1.
- Date of birth/Age:
- Aug 29, 2000 (23)
- Nat.:
- Current club:
- Real Monarchs SLC
- Contract until:
- Dec 31, 2024
- Position:
- Central Midfield
- Market Value:
- €100k
- Total Market Value:
- €43.60m
- Competition:
- Major League Soccer
- Manager:
- Phil Neville
- Squad size:
- 23
- Latest Transfer:
- Jonathan Rodríguez