Forward Phil Bannister started his senior season at Loyola University Maryland with the hopes of becoming the nation’s leading scorer. He started with a flourish of goals and was one of the country’s best finishers until an unfortunate knee injury short-circuited his season. He would still claim several honors including a selection to the Lowe’s Senior CLASS Senior All-America Second Team and National Soccer Coaches Association of America All-North Atlantic First Team.
Now he turns his attention to the MLS SuperDraft Combine as one of 54 initial players invited to this prestigious event.
“I will do the best I can,” Bannister said in an interview with International Soccer Network. “It is about giving your all and hoping teams think you are good enough.”
Many people in the soccer business, including his head coach in college, certainly think he is good enough to play at the next level. “Phil has been a special player in our program in that he has that unique knack for scoring and creating goals,” Loyola University Maryland Head Men’s Soccer Head Coach Mark Mettrick declared. “He is an instinctive, creative player and a very good finisher but mostly for me he was intelligent player who seemed to play the game a step ahead of his opponents.”
Bannister has taken his Mettrick’s advice on many occasions, but has taken one lesson in particular to heart. “He makes sure people pass things on. He helped me develop as a person and a player.”
Bannister certainly has a lot to offer MLS clubs. “I have a professional approach to the game and the team will always get 100% from me,” the English striker commented. “I’m a team-oriented player.”
Not only was Bannister the team’s captain his senior year, but he claimed his place in the Loyola University Maryland record books. He currently shares Loyola’s all-time career assists record with 29 and is eighth on the Loyola all-time goals list and sixth place on the Loyola all-time points ledger.
Teams may be a bit concerned with choosing a player who experienced an injury during their senior season, but Bannister is 100% fit and recovered. He worked back slowly to make sure his knee was fine and spent lots of time with the strength and conditioning coach.
All of his training and experience will be put to the test at the MLS Combine, a few days that will determine the next step in his career. Will it be as a professional in a MLS club? Or will it be a return to England to play in the lower leagues? Time will tell this answer soon enough.
