Midfield maestro Micheal Azira has revealed he was disappointed when Seattle Sounders let him go before later joining Colorado Rapids.
The Uganda Cranes player had got off a glowing career at the club, making regular appearances, but the side opted to offer another crop opportunity.
Sounders had signed Azira from The Charleston Battery off winning the USL title and netting seven goals. He was entering his third pro season.
“I think I was disappointed that the [Sounders] let me go,” Azira narrated to mlssoccer.com. “Sometimes you think that you want to play for a team your entire career.”
In fact Seattle did not renew Azira’s contract after the 2015 season, entering the MLS Waiver Draft in December 2015.
Azira later got selected by Rapids, and now boasts of having played more than 2,593 minutes in 32 appearances.
“….moving to Colorado, I think, was the best opportunity for me,” Azira added.
“I thank Seattle for what they did for me and my life. I’m thankful for that. But me moving to Colorado has been great. I’ve been given a chance to play and l’ve learned a lot.”
Azira’s progress has seen return to the Uganda Cranes fold, recently starring against Congo Brazzaville in the 2018 FIFA World Cup Qualifier at Namboole.
Sounders head coach Brian Schmetzer has since described him as a “dedicated” and “great human being”.
“He’s a great human being, really nice person,” Schmetzer told mlssoccer.com.
“He’s a good soccer player, a dedicated soccer player. We never had any issues with him. He always did what we asked him to do. Just all-around, really a good human being.”