Seattle Sounders coach Sigi Schmid is confident Onyekachi Apam will “get along” well at the Major League Soccer (MLS) club after the defender trained with his new team for the first time on Tuesday.
Schmid was delighted with qualities on display as the Nigeria international took part in short-sided games in his debut session with the club he joined last month.
He said: “There were good things at the beginning of practice — goals in tight. He’s got good defensive tendencies, which is one of the things we wanted. He’s got good quickness, which is another thing we were looking for. It’s a matter of making sure that we get him fit and get him up to speed so we give him an opportunity to do well and not put him into a situation too early.”
The next step for the 27-year-old, who has not trained since May last year, is to get up to speed with fitness “regimen”, said Schmid, adding Apam might in the meantime get few minutes in upcoming reserve team games.
Onyekachi Apam Impresses Seattle Sounders Coach in First Training.
“We really wanted to evaluate where he was at fitness-wise at this stage,” Schmid told reporters. “We’ll take a look at his numbers and probably establish a fitness regimen with him.
“I definitely think that the next two or three games is probably too early. I’m not going to put a timetable on it. He’s not a big guy. Usually the big guys have a harder time catching fitness. He’s not a big guy in that regard and we’ll see how he comes along. As long as we establish a good regimen hopefully we’ll bring him along.”
Apam has 14 Nigeria caps and previously played at French Ligue 1 clubs Nice and Rennes.
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