Panayotou has so much more he wants to accomplish after signing with his hometown team
Panayotou: "Long term, I want to be one of the best players on this team as any player, any kid, does."
Jack Panayotou has returned home to New England and he has some lofty goals in mind.
Panayotou left the New England Revolution Academy on a high, scoring the game-winner in the 2022 U-19 MLS NEXT Cup Championship game. It was a moment of pride for a player who first began playing for the Revs at the U-14 level.
After a summer playing for Revs II, he departed for Georgetown University to take on a new challenge.
“Ultimately, I think I wanted, sort of, another experience to challenge myself and find another place to grow,” Panayotou told the Blazing Musket. “I had been here for a long time and I wanted to see my ability to adapt in another place and do well. Once I realized I could do that, I think I’m ready to come back here.”
“I can’t even find the words to describe it, honestly. It’s been my dream since I’ve come up through the Academy.” -Jack Panayotou.
Panayotou certainly did well at Georgetown, collecting seven goals in 19 appearances. The 2022 Revs Academy Player of the Year believes that he improved during his time away, citing that he battled “physical, older players” in games that were “tough” because opponents were “defensively really good.”
Now, he’s back with his hometown club and he couldn’t be more excited.
“I can’t even find the words to describe it, honestly. It’s been my dream since I’ve come up through the Academy,” Panayotou said. “To be here now, it’s hard to believe some days, honestly.”
The 18-year-old is getting positive reviews from his teammates because of his technical ability and general tenacity. Ryan Spaulding noted that Panayotou is a “special player” who is “really clean on the ball, great with his feet even in tight spaces.”
While he’s fitting in just fine, he’s also getting better every day.
“It’s an awesome experience,” Panayotou remarked. “I guess Carles [Gil] is someone [I look up to]. I watch film after practice to see what he does. I see him on TV and he’s amazing. Now defending him in person, it’s really hard to get close to him, the way he moves, the way he plays. I try to get pieces of his game into mine.”
Revolution fans will remember Panayotou from the viral videos he did when he was 12 years old. In different clips, the Cambridge native was seen masterfully dribbling two balls at once, juggling a tennis ball, and shooting the ball in the upper 90.
As with anything on the internet, the commentators were split. Some wanted him to sign with the Revs immediately, while others wondered if his skills would translate to the professional level.
Panayotou is happy that those technical drills, and all the other hard work he’s done, has earned him a contract with the Revs. Those clips even got him a little notoriety with his new teammates.
“Jozy Altidore made a comment about watching my videos,” Panayotou said. “And I was like, ‘That’s crazy that Jozy Altidore was watching my little dribbling videos.’ I was like, ‘Wow, that’s such a funny moment.’”
Panayotou trained with Bayern Munich soon after those clips went viral. He also spent time in Spain. He admits that playing in European leagues intrigues him, but he’s currently focused on doing his best for the Revs.
“Long term, I want to be one of the best players on this team as any player, any kid, does.” -Jack Panayotou
While he feels his “best position is at 8 or 10,” the midfielder can also “play out wide and then come inside or even go 1v1 out wide.” He believes that his versatility will be a strength as he looks to accomplish his goals.
“Short term, I’m hoping to make my debut this season,” Panayotou remarked. “I have my goal at 10 appearances. I think that would be awesome. Hopefully some goals and assists along the way.
“Long term, I want to be one of the best players on this team as any player, any kid, does. Those are my dreams, my goals, and I set my goals really high. So hopefully I can achieve that. Maybe get a couple of U.S. Men’s National Team caps, that’s what my goals are.”
I hope we see the kids getting some playing time this year. The Revs really need the academy pipeline to produce players who can earn minutes if the team is going to be successful.
Hoping for a big year from some of these kids. Also hilarious that it was Jozy that mentioned the clips