Vertex Soccer: Founder Sam Craven On Building An American Company Making Global Strides in Soccer Development

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Sam pictured with Brazilian legend Ronaldinho—widely regarded as one of the greatest footballers of all time—at the FIFA World Cup 2026 Miami Launch Party in South Beach.

Founded by former professional player Sam Craven , Vertex Soccer is quickly becoming a leading force in soccer development across the U.S. and internationally. With a mission centered on creating opportunities and fostering growth, Vertex has built strong partnerships with university athletic departments and professional soccer organizations throughout the U.S. and abroad. The company continues to expand its impact with new initiatives designed to benefit American institutions, athletes, and teams.

Vertex Soccer was born from Craven’s personal journey and a desire to offer academy players the same life-changing opportunities he once received. Since its inception, the company has helped more than 800 players transition from the UK to the U.S.—many on full athletic scholarships, some going on to sign professional contracts, and others finding success in coaching. Building on this foundation, Vertex now also delivers international tours and professional development programs to broaden its reach and impact.

A native of Nottingham, England, Craven spent seven years in a professional soccer academy before moving to Florida at 18 to pursue collegiate soccer. He played three standout years at Lynn University on a full scholarship, earning All-Conference and All-Region honors, before transferring to SUNY Buffalo where he captained the men’s soccer team and earned a BA in Geography with a specialization in International Business and World Trade.

After college, Craven made his professional debut with New York City FC in Orlando City SC’s first-ever professional match, before briefly returning to England to sign with Mansfield Town FC. A career-ending injury ultimately redirected his path—leading him to channel his passion into entrepreneurship. In May 2012, Vertex Soccer Ltd (UK) was established.

Before launching Vertex full-time, Craven worked as a Learning Mentor at Nottingham Bluecoat Academy, supporting students aged 11–16 with autism and other learning needs. He developed the business during evenings and weekends, showing early signs of the work ethic and purpose that define Vertex today.

Now headquartered in Miami, Vertex Soccer has evolved into a global network of soccer professionals committed to advancing youth and collegiate soccer through education, experience, and opportunity. Craven’s eye for talent, strategic vision, and deep industry knowledge continue to propel the company forward. With a strong foundation and ambitious plans ahead, Vertex Soccer is set to play a vital role in shaping the future of the sport in the U.S.

Sam Craven at Leeds United FC Training Ground (Premier League team in England)

What makes a soccer player high performance and how do you spot it?

Sam Craven: A high-performance player demonstrates exceptional ability across the four key aspects of the game: physical, mental, technical, and tactical. The distinguishing factor is not just excelling in each category, but maintaining consistency at a high level, which separates good players from great or world-class ones.

How do you help athletes with the business side of sports?

Over the past 13 years of running Vertex Soccer (first an English company, and now a U.S. LLC), I’ve built a strong foundation that now includes partnerships and affiliations with more than 40 professional soccer clubs. This network offers unparalleled, exclusive access to professional academies across the UK—opportunities that simply aren’t available through conventional means. We host U.S. coaches, players, and professionals, giving them firsthand experience of the intense competition, behind-the-scenes operations, and world-class training environments of Premier League academies. They also gain direct education from some of the most respected figures in the global game. (The English Premier League, notably, has an immense international presence, broadcasting to 189 countries and reaching over 920 million homes.)

You organize trips to England for teams and coaches, what is most important to highlight?

Soccer is evolving faster in the United States than anywhere else globally. However, unlike American football, basketball, and baseball—where the U.S. leads in elite-level development—soccer requires a different approach. To raise the standard of youth development and the overall quality of the game, coaches, players, and professionals must expand their learning through exposure to countries with long-established soccer cultures, some spanning decades.

Sam Craven at Manchester City FC Training Ground (Premier League team in England)

What are some of the most successful events you’ve organized?

We’ve successfully organized a wide range of high-impact events across various facets of the game. Some of the most notable include:

• Hosting Atlanta United U17 (MLS Academy) in England for a 10-day tour. We were the first company to ever bring an MLS academy team to the UK for such an experience.
• Coordinating a tour for Syracuse University, who were the reigning NCAA Division 1 National Champions at the time. I arranged exclusive matches for them against Tottenham Hotspur (Europa League Champions), Brighton U21, Aston Villa U21, and Leicester City U21—all held at official professional training grounds.
• Being commissioned to organize the England Women’s U17 National Team’s pre-World Cup training camp in Miami, where they trained at the University of Miami.
• Hosting 48 NCAA Division 1 men’s soccer head coaches in England for a three-day elite coaching education program. The event featured world-renowned speakers including:
• Aaron Danks (then England In-Possession Coach, now Assistant Coach at Bayern Munich)
• Scott Sellars (former Wolves Technical Director, now Sporting Director at Al Jazira, UAE)
• Jimmy Shan (former West Brom Head Coach and FA Youth Cup winner with Aston Villa U18s)
• Keith Downing (England U20 World Cup-winning Head Coach and most recently Head Coach at Derby County)

What have been some jaw-dropping moments where you’ve introduced US players to UK soccer icons?

Wayne Rooney delivered a talk to the Wake Forest University men’s soccer team, while Andriy Shevchenko spoke with the Stanford University men’s soccer team. Even for me, these moments were truly unforgettable.

Do you secretly hate calling it soccer when it's football?

Haha, years ago when I used to say "soccer" while presenting at Premier League clubs, they’d immediately stop me with, “It’s football!” I don’t hate the name soccer, but you definitely have to train yourself to say “football” in certain settings. Just last week, I had a meeting with staff from two South American national teams—I slipped and said “soccer,” and you could see them silently questioning where I was from! But hey, 11 players on each side, two goals, one ball… as long as that’s consistent, we’re speaking the same language.

Can you talk about the upcoming U-16 tournament planned for 2026? Where is it and when? Why is it pioneering?

I can’t share too many specifics just yet, as this will be a groundbreaking initiative once announced. In short, this event will kick start the plan driven by Vertex Soccer to create a global hub for soccer development in South Florida—and we’re well on our way. This event will showcase world-class talent on the field and world-class expertise on the sidelines, bringing together some of the most elite but diverse footballing nations. We plan to invite coaches from across the U.S. to attend, observe, and learn from the best in the global game.