Every rating I give and every piece of advice I offer comes from having been on the other side of it — recently, and at the levels I'm assessing you against.
I'm Owen Degelman, a Canadian-Irish striker. I currently play in Wales' Cymru Premier — the country's top flight — with Trefelin BGC. Before that: Regionalliga Bayern in Germany with TSV Aubstadt, the Northern Irish Championship with Armagh City FC, and a professional contract with Halifax Wanderers in the Canadian Premier League. Four countries, four football cultures, four different standards to adapt to.
Nobody handed me the European route. I learned the registration rules, the trial culture, and what coaches here actually value by living it — including the parts that cost me time and money. That's the knowledge in every report and every call.
I won't tell you or your kid what you want to hear. Inflated ratings, a pathway plan built on wishful thinking, or a training programme copied from someone else's game — none of that moves a player forward. What I offer is the perspective of someone who has been assessed, rejected, signed and coached across four countries, applied honestly to where you are right now.
Everything on my career is public and checkable. I'd rather you verify it than take my word for it.
A lot of what I do involves teenagers and their footage. That deserves to be handled carefully, so here is exactly how it works.
The Privacy Policy sets out the detail of what's kept and for how long.
Tell me what you're after — a development report, a pathway call, a spot on the coaching waitlist, or just whether any of it makes sense for your situation. I answer everything myself, usually within 24 hours.
owen@9performance.ca