ARLINGTON, MASS. (WHDH) - An Arlington-native is set to take the pitch for his first FIFA World Cup with the United States men’s national soccer team, something his family says has been decades in the making.
Miles Robinson grew up following his older sister to soccer practices, until he was finally able to play himself.
“At three years old he had a soccer ball at his feet,” said Jane Madden, Robinson’s mother. “We would always take them down to the local field, and we would play together as a family, and have running races and all of that, so they were always competing with one another.”
Now 29-years-old, the center-back is competing on the world’s biggest soccer stage. Madden recalled the first moment she realized her son could be a star.
“I saw him do this move on the sidelines that was really pretty fantastic, and all the parents looked at me and they said ‘wow,’ Madden remembered. “And I was driving him home, and I said, ‘Miles you did this really cool move on the sidelines, like, where did you learn that?’ He said, ‘oh I was watching videos of Pelé.'”
The Brazillian soccer legend wasn’t the only athlete Robinson looked up to – growing up in New England in the early 2000s, inspiration was all around.
“You know the Patriots obviously, Tom Brady. Miles wears number 12,” Madden said. “I think it was the Red Sox when they won, they showed the locker room and they showed everyone, like, shaking the bottles of champagne, and he was a little kid at the time. And I found out years later after he won the MLS cup with Atlanta United, he said, ‘after seeing them celebrate like that, I knew at some point I wanted to be a part of something like that too.'”
Robinson hoped he would’ve gotten to celebrate with the men’s national team in the World Cup in 2022, but his dreams halted after he tore his Achillies.
“That was hard for him, but I have been so proud of how he maintains his positive attitude and he works through it,” Madden said.
Robinson is now fully recovered, and getting a second shot at greatness. One of his biggest supporters is Margaret Moroney, who coached him at the Arlington Soccer Club.
“A lot of people joke with me, ‘oh Mags you were his coach, it’s all because of you,’ but no, he was a good listener. He had the drive to do it,” Moroney said. “He had a very large gait so he could run faster and cover more space, so that made him special.”
Robinson’s supporters said they cannot wait to see him shine on the world stage.
“It’s very emotional just because you’ve known him for so long, and we’re so proud,” Moroney said.
“I love him as a soccer player, but I’m more proud of the man he has become,” Madden said.
Besides soccer, Robinson also excelled at basketball. He scored more than 1,000 points for the Arlington boy’s basketball team.
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