Bobby Convey Soccer Camp

About Bobby Convey

From FC Coppa to the U.S. National Team

Bobby Convey was born and raised in the Philadelphia area, and like many kids, began playing soccer at the age of five. He grew up as an all-around athlete, playing basketball and also running track & field, but soccer was clearly his passion. Bobby joined FC Coppa at the age of 10 and thanks to his rapid development, was invited to be a part of the inaugural class at the Bradenton Academy at the age of 14. His teammates in that class included current U.S. National Team members Landon Donovan, DaMarcus Beasley and Oguchi Onyewu.

Bobby Convey holds Reading FC’s 2005/06 English First Division championship trophy capping off one of the greatest seasons in English soccer history.

As the youngest member of the Under-17 National Team, he helped the United States earn a fourth place finish at the 1999 FIFA U-17 World Cup in New Zealand. To date, it is the best finish for any U.S. team in that competition.

A year later, Bobby made history when he was drafted by DC United of Major League Soccer (MLS) at the age of 16, making him the youngest player to be signed by MLS. He made an immediate impact with the club, making 22 appearances, 18 of them starts.

Later that year, Bobby would make his debut for the senior national team on October 25 in a 2-0 victory against arch-rival Mexico in Los Angeles. At the age of 17, he became the third youngest player in U.S. history to take the field for the senior team.

Over the next five years, the Philadelphia native made 84 appearances for DC United, scoring eight goals and dishing out 14 assists. He also scored his first senior international goal on July 26, 2003 against Costa Rica. With his professional experience and leadership skills, he was named captain and also scored a pair of goals for the U.S. team at the 2003 FIFA Under-20 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates. He was also named to the World Cup All-Tournament team at that event.

After a denied British work permit halted a 2003 transfer to Tottenham Hotspur, he was finally awarded a permit in 2004 to complete a move to Reading FC of the English First Division. At the time, it was the highest transfer fee ever paid by the club.

While at Reading, he helped the Royals complete one of the greatest seasons in English soccer history. In 2005/06, Bobby helped the club go on a 33-game unbeaten streak (an English league record) to finish 31-2-13, giving them an incredible 106 points (a national record) and the English First Division championship. The league title earned Reading their first trip to the English Premier League in the 135-year history of the club. Bobby scored seven goals and started 45 of the club’s 46 games that year.

During his time with the Royals, he continued to rack up caps for the U.S. National Team. The biggest moment of his career came in 2006 when he was selected by Bruce Arena to be a part of the team that would represent the U.S. at the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany. He played in all three of the United States’ games (vs. Czech Republic, Italy, Ghana), and became the first member of Reading FC to ever play in the World Cup.

To date, Bobby Convey has earned 46 caps for the U.S. National Team, and continues to help Reading in their 2007/08 English Premier League campaign.