Peverley's odyssey continues

At the age of 12, Charleston Battery midfielder Cole Peverley was forced to become a man.

A soccer prodigy in his native country of New Zealand, Peverley traveled to Europe for a youth tournament in 2000. He played so well that professional teams from France and Germany recruited him to attend their youth academies clubs.

Peverley had reached a crossroads in his life. He could continue to live and train in his hometown of Wellington, or he could move to Europe and learn and play against the best players in world.

It was a no-brainer for Peverley.

"My dream was to be a professional football player," Peverley said. "The best coaches and the best players in the world train and play in Europe, so I knew that's where I had to go to realize my dream."

Peverley signed with Hansa Rostock, a powerful club in the former East Germany, located on the Baltic Sea.

Eleven thousand miles from his home, Peverley would routinely cry himself to sleep during his first few months in Germany.

"It wasn't easy, but I had a passion for the game," Peverley said. "I think it taught me to be a man pretty early in life. I had to grow up. The first three or four months, I would call my parents almost every day. It wasn't easy being away from home at first, but the club did a really good job of helping me through those early months. As I got older, it got easier and easier and then Germany became my home."

He would return to New Zealand every six months for a six-week visit.

"I was fine after the first six months," Peverley said. "A few weeks into my first visit back home, I wanted to get back to Germany."

In all, Peverley spent seven years in Germany.

"I learned a lot, I improved a lot as a player," Peverley said. "It was a great experience. It made me the player I am today."

Peverley returned to New Zealand in fall of 2006 and played the next five seasons for Auckland City, Hake's Bay United and Team Wellington.

"I remember him from a couple of matches," said Battery defender Colin Falvey, who played against Peverley in New Zealand. "He was a good, young player that wasn't afraid to mix it up. When I heard that we'd signed him I was excited. I knew he had great potential."

During this stretch, Peverley was also a regular on New Zealand's national youth teams. He earned a spot on New Zealand's 2008 Olympic team and then made his first appearance for the national team in 2008 against Fiji.

"I think it's everyone's dream is to play for their country," Peverley said. "Playing in the Olympics was fantastic and getting a spot on the national team was a great honor."

Peverley, 22, was ready for a new challenge this year and earned a tryout with Major League Soccer's Seattle Sounders. He trained with the club for three weeks, but their roster was filled with too many foreign players, so he came to Charleston.

"There just were not enough spots for foreign players, so they asked if I'd be interested in coming to the Battery," Peverley said. "I figured I could come here and get a lot of playing time and improve my game."

Peverley started the first nine games of the season as a holding midfielder before breaking his foot against Wilmington on May 21.

"He's got a lot of skill, his technical skill is very high," said Battery coach Mike Anhaeuser. "When he's got time on the ball he can drive a 40-, 50-yard ball right onto a guy's foot. That's a rare skill. We've missed that since he's been out of the lineup."

Peverley should be back in the lineup when the Battery takes on Pittsburgh tonight. Anhaeuser is hoping to get at least 30 minutes out of Peverley tonight.

"I can't wait to get back out there," Peverley said. "It's been tough watching from the stands the last month. It'll take a couple of weeks to get my match fitness back, but I'm ready to get back out there and play."