Felipe Valencia: “There’s a clear, written path for everyone in the Academy”

By Inter Miami CF

December 18^th, 2020

The Club made its first First Team signing from the Inter Miami CF Academy presented by Baptist Health with the addition of record-breaking winger Felipe Valencia. The USL’s youngest-ever goalscorer signed a Homegrown contract for the team making him the 15th-youngest player to sign a contract in MLS history.

Felipe Valencia: “There’s a clear, written path for everyone in the Academy”

“Being the first Inter Miami Academy player signed to the First Team is a huge honor,” said Valencia. “First of all, it’s a sign that I have to keep working hard, but it shows that the hard work I’ve put in has borne some fruit.”

The Academy trains and plays its home matches at the Inter Miami CF Training Center, the same facility that serves as home to both the First Team and the USL League One side, allowing the Club's youth players to grow in the same state-of-the-art complex as its professionals.

“The environment Inter Miami has created has been really great for me to grow as both a person and a player,” he added. “Everyone helps a lot and has created a very good environment for me to grow.”

Valencia is especially grateful for the work of his coaches in the Inter Miami CF Academy system as well as with Fort Lauderdale CF, as he believes they have helped shape him into the player and person he is now.

“I think the coaches are the most important for my development, along with the facilities, the fields, the gym, everything, but I especially want to thank my coaches for helping build me into a good player. They’ve helped me be better both on and off the field.”

Valencia also shared his enthusiasm for the possibilities that lie ahead in his young career with Inter Miami, but he refused to get ahead of himself.

“I’m very excited about the possibilities this upcoming year and the next few years, but I think I have to focus more on working hard and being ready.”

The young winger shined on the field for Fort Lauderdale CF in USL League One play in 2020, impressing with his skill and knack for popping up in dangerous areas.

Entering 2020, however, playing in League One represented a challenge for Valencia, pitting the 15 year old against larger and more experienced players. Still, the confident teenager proved he was up to the task.

“The physical challenge was huge when I got to USL. I was a little kid playing against 25 year olds, grown men hitting the gym every day. It was very tough at first but then with the help of my coaches I got to get to that level.”

Valencia’s signing represents a dream come to fruition, not just for the young winger but for every player growing up in South Florida. He is the first in what the Club hopes to be a long line of local players making the jump to the MLS level with their hometown team.

“We are very proud of Felipe for making the most of the opportunities he has earned, but most importantly, we hope his accomplishment sets an example for other youth players within our Academy and USL League One team,” said Inter Miami CF Managing Owner Jorge Mas. “We’ve invested in the best resources and facilities to support the Academy because we aspire to continue developing local players and producing future stars of our team in the short and long-term.”

“It shows that you can dream and make something happen. I started off the same way as everyone else. It just takes work, the work that you put in shows,” added Valencia. “There’s a clear, written path for everyone in the Academy and across other academies in South Florida.”

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