When Eric Lichaj left Downers Grove in his early teens to go train and attend school at the elite Edison Academy in Florida, it was the first of many rapid moves up the ladder of success and around the world for the soccer standout.

Lichaj now finds himself at an incredible level for a mere 20-year-old — a defender listed in one of 28 spots on the first team of Birmingham, England-based Aston Villa, which begins play in late July at the top level of Europe's Barclays Premier League.

That is just the latest great development of 2009 for him. After helping Aston Villa's second team to a victory in the FA Reserve League finals, Lichaj received an incredible honor when U.S. national team coach Bob Bradley asked him and one other "non-roster" player to train with the 24-member U.S. national team in preparation for its World Cup qualifying matches.

"When I first received the news I was very shocked but extremely happy to get an opportunity to travel with the team," Lichaj said.

"My top memories would have to be meeting back up with some of the guys that I have trained with in the Residency Program (for three years) in Florida and being able to wear the U.S jersey at the highest level."

Lichaj didn't see any game action during the U.S. team's recent run, but added another memorable accomplishment to what has been a whirlwind rise in the game of soccer for someone born in the last months of the 1980s.

"I never would have imagined being a part of the (U.S.) squad when I was growing up playing with the Downers Grove Roadrunners," Lichaj said.

But one top soccer coach who coached Lichaj in his pre-England days as a youngster with the Chicago Magic instantly saw limitless potential.

"In your time coaching sometimes you get a gem, and he was," said Mike Matkovich, who is now an assistant with the Chicago Fire of the MLS. "You could tell right away that Eric was a special guy. He had skills at a young age, and the sense for the game and drive to get better."

Lichaj's four-year stint with the Magic and the challenge it provided has been a springboard in his meteoric rise.

"The time at Chicago Magic helped me to develop," Lichaj said, "because Coach Matko would always want me to train with the older age groups, which was really nerve-racking at the start. But as it went on that disappeared and I could handle it pretty well."

Lichaj has always been up to the challenge, even heading off to the Edison Academy in Florida for high school and the best of U.S. soccer competition in his age group.

"At Florida it was more of a professional mentality that I learned from being there," Lichaj said. "How we trained every day, to eat correctly and doing the things to get ready for the next game — training is important."

Lichaj was on the United States team that qualified for the 2005 under-17 World Cup, and was a Parade Magazine Soccer All-American in 2005 and 2006.

Then after one college season at the University of North Carolina, Lichaj drew international interest.

"He was on full scholarship for one year at North Carolina," his father, Stan, said, "and after that he went to try out for Aston Villa and they took him. He played again for the Chicago Magic just before he went to England for tryouts.

"The Chicago Magic gave him a lot of exposure. That was the No. 1 club in the nation for five years running with Mike Matkovich coaching."

Aston Villa was impressed by his Magic-al play and signed Lichaj in August 2007 for its youth academy team.

He rapidly was elevated to the regular reserve team, where Lichaj played in all but two matches as the squad won the Premier Reserve League South title. And with it, a chance at the prime squad would follow.

"Playing in England has been challenging but also fun," Lichaj said. "The main thing in England is the speed that everything moves. It's not just that everything is mainly done in one to three touches, but the grass is always wet and just perfect so it forces everyone to do everything at a quicker pace.

"I haven't really changed how I play, but it is just getting used to what I said earlier, how quick to play the ball. I would consider this my biggest improvement."

The improved skills and maturity way beyond his age produced a rapid rise up the soccer ranks.
"His head is on right and his upside is very high," Matkovich said. "He has incredible talent and works hard. He does things the right way.

"It can be a tough situation for a lot of young players going over to Europe. Not a lot of guys can go to Europe and survive in a true professional environment, but a lot of the credit goes to him and back to his family."

Lichaj's advanced maturity is a product of his parents, who helped put him on track to success early and maintain a major interest.

Despite the ocean between them, Lichaj and his parents Stan and Ann speak several times a week on the phone, and they made trips to Florida almost monthly to see him during his high school days.

"It was first class, a private school for the players with about 100 kids," Stan Lichaj recalled of Edison Academy. "And on the Academy grounds you'd see some of the teenage tennis stars (back then). One of them was Maria Sharapova."

And like Sharapova, Lichaj has made a beautiful impression (albeit a different kind) in his sport.

"Eric always knew what he wanted and went for it," Stan Lichaj said. "He's worked hard."

That work ethic was formed at a young age in Downers Grove, where his brothers Mark and Andrew were an inspiration and a motivation.

"I started playing soccer because my older brothers did and I wanted to be just like them," said Lichaj, whose brother Andrew starred on Downers South's 2004 state title team and now is a senior playing at the Illinois Institute of Technology.

"I'll never forget how I would always play in my backyard with my two older brothers and sometimes my dad," Lichaj said. "I was the smallest, so every time I would get pushed off the ball or just bullied by my brothers. But in the long run it has helped me to always get up and keep working hard."

Years later, Lichaj is excelling for Aston Villa. He signed a contract extension with the team this year and envisions a long run both across the Atlantic and in U.S. national play.

"In the future I would love to be playing on Aston Villa's first team as long as possible, and hopefully from doing this get into the U.S. team and end up on a World Cup squad," Lichaj said.
"As far as (the U.S. pro soccer league) MLS goes, I would rather play as long as possible in England and hope to end my career somewhere in England."

Wherever in the world he decides to play, the 20-year-old Lichaj is likely just getting started.
"I've known him since he was 11 years old," Matkovich said, "and there was no doubt in my mind that he had a great future in the game.

"He's a guy who deserves all the success that he gets. He'll have an outstanding pro career."