Jax Hunt didn't think he'd get any playing time – he'd only signed for Gloucester City a week before and the Tigers were due to play Bishops Cleeve in the Gloucestershire County Cup final – so just getting in the shirt for the game was enough for Hunt.
However, with the score at 2-2 towards the end of the game, it was Hunt's turn.
He accomplished it.
Hunt, a Mishawaka Marian High School graduate, achieved his dream on April 23 when he got the chance to play for a professional soccer team. Hunt was on the field when Gloucester won the County Cup with a 5-4 penalty shootout victory. He also took part in the post-game trophy celebration, signing autographs and giving away shoes to kids in the crowd.
“I'd always dreamed of playing professionally and at that moment I thought, 'This is it,'” Hunt said. “I was ready to prove myself and shine, and that's exactly what we did.”
Hunt's appearance at Gloucester City was the culmination of a successful first season in England.
After a stellar career at Marian High School where he scored 67 goals and 163 points (both team records), Hunt had some options on where he wanted to play soccer next. He was considering attending college in the United States, but after playing club soccer in January 2023, the dream of playing overseas became more realistic.
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“I was playing in an Indy Premier (football club) game, a league game against the previous year's national champions, and one of the England scouts saw me in the game,” Hunt recalled. “I scored the winning goal in the game so they thought I was pretty good. They asked me if I'd be interested in coming to England and I thought, 'Oh, that would be great.'”
The decision to play in England was a risk, but one that was worth it for Hunt. He enrolled at the University of Gloucestershire and joined the UDA football team through the school. He also played in the FA Men's League and quickly caught the eye of the Gloucester City coaching staff.
After a month of impressive performances, Hunt was invited to start training with the club and although he was not signed to a professional club at the time, he was able to join the team whilst playing for both the UDA and FA teams.
Hunt remained in England over the Christmas holidays to devote as much time as possible to the team and the sport.
“I didn't have any family there and I was on my own so I had to make friends and meet new people,” Hunt said. “All those friends are like family to me now. I feel like everyone respected me and was very kind to me there. Everyone in the UK is very friendly. I loved the experience.”
In 50 games played in the UDA and FA men's leagues, Hunt has scored 48 goals and provided 21 assists. He has also scored seven goals in a men's league match, which is believed to be a league record.
Due to his performance, Hunt signed with Gloucester City, who play in the Southern Football League, the seventh tier of England's football league, on April 13. Ten days later, Hunt played in the Tigers' final game of the regular season.
“I couldn't be more proud of Jax,” said Jax's mother, Heather Hunt, “Not only is he talented, he's also a great character. … He took a huge risk by going overseas, and it meant a lot of sacrifices for us, but we were all happy to do it because we believed in him so much.”
Several people have been keeping an eye on Hunt over the past year, including Marian coach Ben Haushalter, who is a little surprised by Hunt's rapid rise through the ranks but not entirely shocked.
“He's got the talent, obviously, and that combined with his work ethic makes him something special,” Househelter said. “He's humble, he works hard. … I think the England coaching staff have said they believe in him and trust him, and that gives him a lot of confidence as a player.”
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Hunt will return to England in August to play for Gloucester City whilst attending the University of Gloucestershire, and is confident he can combine his academic work with professional football.
“I want to have exactly the same season as this one with a professional team,” said Hunt. “I want to be a star for them, impress coaches from higher-ups, get a bigger contract, play for a higher club and keep moving up – the Premier League is my goal.”
