Jordan Rideout Interview, Kansas City Player
Remember Paul Rideout? the only goalscorer in the FA Cup final where Everton lifted their most recent trophy. Well, it’s not only Paul who has been gifted with the shooting boots. Paul’s son, Jordan Rideout has followed his fathers footsteps in the World of Football. He currently plays for Oklahoma City Energy FC. We caught up with Jordan Rideout and asked him a few questions about his career so far and his plans.
We here at Dictate The game have a soft spot for the MLS and America. So, doing this interview with Jordan Rideout was very exciting for us. We managed to ask some fantastic questions and received incredible responses.
You can relive Paul’s goal which led Everton to their most recent trophy here.
Now on to the interview…
You are English and born in England, but you play in America, what’s the reason behind this?
My family and I moved over to America when my dad signed with the Kansas City Wizards. Whilst my dad went to China and also back to England to play afterwards, me, my mum and two brothers stayed in America. I played for Sporting Kansas City’s youth system and played college soccer (football) in America. Although I would like to get over to England and play. I am currently seeing how things unfold for me here in America.
Out of all the leagues in the world did you ever think that you’d be playing in America?
Like millions of other kids in the world, I always dreamed of playing in the Premier League. With me growing up with my dad actually playing in the premier league, that dream was a bit more personal for me. Before I had moved to America, I never would have thought I would end up playing here. But now that I have lived in America for quite some time now it doesn’t seem anything out of the ordinary. Football in America has grown enormously and I think the future is bright for the sport here.
Your father, could be described as a legend in the football world, is this something that motivated you?
I’ve had a ball at my feet since I could walk. So, football was pretty much engraved into my DNA. My dad is my hero on and off the pitch. But being able to see him play and learn from him was definitely big motivation. I am very similar to the player that he was. As thankful as I am to be raised by a player of my dad’s calibre, my goal is to create a name for myself rather than always being known as “Paul Rideout’s son.”
At your young age of 23, what’s your aims for the foreseeable future?
My situation is a bit strange in the fact that in America 23 is considered young for a professional footballer. I am actually the youngest player on my team. With that, I would really like to play in England at some point. But I set my goals pretty high so I’m just going to keep working hard and see what opportunities unfold.
If you had to pick a league, anywhere in the world to play to play in, where would you pick?
Simple, the Premier League. Other than that, I’ve always wanted to play for my dad’s first club, Swindon Town, currently playing in League 1. I’ve got quite a lot of family and friends in Swindon, so that would be a dream come true.
Who were your role models and idols growing up?
Obviously my old man was my idol, but I had quite a few players that I loved to watch growing up. My favourite strikers growing up (other than my dad) were Dennis Bergkamp, Alan Shearer, GianFranco Zola, and Michael Owen. But my hero was and still is David Beckham, he’s a legend.
At Kansas City, what was it like being coached by your father?
He would be the first one to say that he is very, very tough on me, but that has definitely turned me into the player I am today so I can appreciate that. I’ve learned almost everything from my dad. So, having him coach my team rather than just me individually was special. With that, my dad has worked hard and become a very good manager and I think the future could be bright for him in coaching.
What are your aims for the remainder of the season and your plans, if any for the next season?
We start playoffs this Saturday, so I am focusing on the task at hand right now and hope to be lifting a trophy at the end of October! After the season is finished, I’ll take a look at my options and see what is best for me going forward.
Do you think the recruitment system in America is better than England? (Such as America having high school and college football – looking to get scholarships etc. Where as In England it’s more common for a player to be scouted on a Saturday/Sunday morning for their local team)
I personally think that the college recruitment process in America is detrimental to growth of players and football in general in America. The college season only lasts from August until October and then there You really don’t see much of the pitch in the winter and spring. If you take a look at young American players abroad such a Christian Pulisic (Dortmund) and Cameron Carter-Vickers (Tottenham), it shows that the system for growth in young players is much more beneficial in Europe compared to America.
Who is the best player you’ve faced and teamed up with?
We played against David Villa and New York City FC in preseason on our Florida trip in March so that was something special. He actually scored and we ended up losing 1-0. I’d say the best player that I’ve played with is Scott Morrison last season at Arizona. Scotty played for Aberdeen and Ross County. As well as playing as a youth international for Scotland. I was fortunate enough to become really close with Scotty and have learned a lot from him in the past year or so.
As you’re an Evertonian, who influenced you into becoming a toffee?
My dad. He obviously played for Everton and with him scoring in the FA Cup Final and beating United to lift the trophy it was inevitable to love Everton. My dad has always kept up with the results of the teams he has played for. He’s always loved Everton, and so have I. My dad was announced at halftime at Goodison a couple years ago and to see the appreciation and love that the Everton fans had for my dad was incredible.
Everyone at Dictate the Game would personally like to thank Jordan for not only this interview but for the cooperation and enjoyment that we had interviewing him. What a humble, kind-hearted Gentleman. It was an absolute pleasure doing this.
I was so overwhelmed when speaking to Jordan Rideout, it was really a privilege. Sometimes when you interview people they just answer the questions, which is fine but Jordan seemed to share the same interest for this as we did. After the interview we spoke a little longer, especially on the topics regarding his father and how he wants to make a name for himself.
You can find Jordan Rideout on Twitter Here. We all wish Jordan the very best of luck with his career. We look forward to following his journey and staying in touch.
This interview was conducted in 2016, so a lot has changed. We wanted to carry this interview across because of how genuine Jordan Rideout is.