Footballer Geoff Cameron has had his UK work permit approved, meaning he can complete his transfer from Houston Dynamo to Stoke City.
The player received the work permit approval following an appeal hearing at Manchester City's Etihad Stadium. The success means that Cameron will be able to play in the Premier League and fulfil his career ambitions.
Cameron is the fourth American to win a UK work permit appeal in the last 12 months, following Alejandro Bedoya, Tim Ream and Robbie Rogers, after he failed to make the requirements for automatic approval.
Stoke City chief executive Tony Scholes noted on the club's website: “We wouldn’t have come this far and worked as hard on getting the transfer done if we didn’t think that we had a good chance of getting a work permit.”
He added that the transfer deal has been a difficult period in terms of reaching agreement, particularly for the player because “his life has been on hold”. “Thankfully though, we have no progressed to a point where Geoff can focus on the start to his career at the Britannia Stadium.”
The US international benefited from testimonials from current USMNT coaches Jurgen Klinsmann and the Houston Dynamo head coach Dominic Kinnear in his appeal process.
Speaking to MLSoccer.com, Cameron himself remarked: “It’s surreal because it’s been a dream of mine since I was a little kid.
“I think I ended my career with the Dynamo with a pretty good game. I thought that was one of my best games of the season against D.C. United [July 15th] and now I want to go abroad and try the UK and get that experience and test my ability.”
The footballer has taken what he called “baby steps” with his career, taking things one stage at a time. This has helped him on to the World Cup circuit and now the Premier League.