Here’s why Boca Raton native Sami Guediri caught Inter Miami coach Phil Neville’s eye
The first player to catch Phil Neville’s attention when he arrived from England in late January to begin coaching Inter Miami was Sami Guediri, a Boca Raton native who played in Germany and Greenville, South Carolina, before returning to pursue his passion closer to home.
“The first day I came to the club I went to watch the USL [team] train because there was no training that day for the MLS players, and Sami just caught my eye straight away,” Neville said.
“He was within a group that was really young, full of players we were developing. I spoke to [coaches] Darren [Powell], Jason [Kreis], Anthony [Pulis]. They said this boy’s a good player. He needs pushing and we said straightaway `Let’s get him with MLS players when they get back into market’.
Guediri, a 23-year-old midfielder turned left back, rose to the challenge. Last week he was awarded with an MLS contract to join Inter Miami. He made a brief appearance in the closing minutes of Sunday’s season opener against the Los Angeles Galaxy and will be with the team for Saturday’s road game against the Philadelphia Union (8 p.m., CBS4).
“It’s been a bit of a journey, but I’m really happy to be playing pro ball back in South Florida,” Guediri said. “When I was a kid, Inter Miami wasn’t even a thing, so to have a professional team down here for young kids growing up is awesome. I feel blessed to be able to play for the team.”
Watching it all proudly is Keith Fries, Guediri’s youth coach at Team Boca, where he played U8 through U12 before moving on to the Schultz Academy for his teen years. Guediri trained with Fries’ U18 team in recent years and is good friends with Fries’ son, Kyle, so the coach keeps close tabs on his career.
“Sami was super dynamic and easily recognizable even as a very young kid,” Fries said. “Everyone we played would pick him out, people would ask who he is. You could tell right off the bat he was special. He is also humble and has worked very hard for this moment.”
Neville has been impressed with Guediri’s development thus far.
“From the first day to what we see now, the growth, the improvement, development, it was a special moment when we gave him his MLS contract,” Neville said. “Those are the moments as a coach, forget the results, forget the glamour of football, that’s probably the highlight as a coach when you see a guy who’s developed, who’s worked hard, who deserves that kind of opportunity. The players gave him a real strong ovation and support because he’s earned the right to be challenging Joevin Jones, Kieren Gibbs, Brek Shea on that left-hand side.”
Guediri, who is of Algerian heritage, skipped college and headed overseas to Germany, where he played for fifth-division clubs BW Friesdorf and VfL Alfter. He then returned to the United States and played for a USL team in Greenville.
Guediri was 16 in 2014 when David Beckham announced his intention to start an MLS team in Miami. He says his dream was sparked that day.
“You really don’t know what the future will hold, but when it was announced I talked with my friends and was like, `Wow, how cool would it be to be playing for a team where you’re from,’’’ Guediri said.
Now he knows.
This story was originally published April 23, 2021 at 3:21 PM.