Gavin Levey has praised Aberdeen Women youngster Millie Urquhart, who has earned a move to play in the United States later this year.
The 17-year-old Ellon Academy pupil will move across the pond to study exercise science on a four-year football scholarship at Jacksonville University in Florida.
At Jacksonville, she will play D1 football which is the highest level of the NCAA system.
This season, Urquhart has been deployed across the backline and most recently down the right flank, featuring 24 times for the Dons – with 21 of those appearances coming in SWPL 1.
She netted her first goals for the club, which were two superb efforts, when the Dons beat Dundee United 4-3 on Wednesday night.
Although Levey is disappointed to lose the Scotland under-19 international at the end of the season, he believes moving Stateside is an opportunity Urquhart could not pass up on.
The interim manager said: “It’s a move that totally makes sense. As much as you want to have your best talent playing at Aberdeen, you have to think about what’s right for the individual.
“When Millie told me about it and what it will involve, I was so excited for her. She’ll have the proper support from the university for four years.
“It’s the best thing that can happy for her at this stage. She’s a bright girl and she’ll thrive in that environment.
“We need to let Millie go and fly and have the next chapter of her life – in football and education. She’ll gain so many life skills from just living in a different country at a young age.”
‘A dream to work with’ – Levey
The college football system is held in high regard, with players such as Scotland international and AC Milan star Christy Grimshaw, who grew up in Stonehaven, developing in America before going on to play professionally.
Levey reckons the opportunity to play for Jacksonville could be the start of bigger and brighter things for Urquhart.
He said: “Hopefully after her four years there, she’ll return to Scotland or move elsewhere as an even better young footballer.
“It’s a good stepping stone with the level it’s at and with her age. She’s going to be combining education with what will essentially be a full-time football programme.
“It must be a dream come true for a player like Millie. She’s so driven and has an incredibly professional approach – she’s developed that through playing football but also from her family unit.
“She’s a dream to work with. She typifies what you would want from a young player at a football club.
“It’s been her breakthrough season here at Aberdeen and what she’s achieved here and earning this opportunity has been admirable.”
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