'I would get picked up right after school and drive to Pittsburgh on Mondays and Wednesdays then to Cleveland on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday' Next MLS star Jason Shokalook on golden boot journey

From to Max Arfsten to Alex Freeman, Paul Rothrock to Jacen Russell-Rowe, more than a few soccer players have gone from MLS Next Pro to success in MLS.

Whilst the majority are competing in North America, some like Benjamin Cremaschi (Parma) and Patrick Agyemang (Derby County) have even earned moves to major European leagues like Serie A and the EFL Championship.

Ever since launching in 2022, MLS Next Pro has served as an essential springboard for young players. Rather than watching idly from the bench, these youngsters have the chance to ply their trade in a competitive division, considered to be on the third tier of American soccer. The latest player to emerge from this pathway might prove to be Jason Shokalook.

Jason Shokalook couldn't stop scoring in MLS Next Pro

Born on September 30, 2002 in Erie, Pennsylvania, Shokalook became used to traveling at an early age, in order to pursue his sporting ambitions.

The youngster's week was punctuated by a five-hour round trip to Pittsburgh for hockey and a regular drive of four-and-some hours to-and-from Cleveland to play soccer. After two years, Shokalook chose to focus solely on soccer.

"I would get picked up right after school and drive to Pittsburgh on Mondays and Wednesdays and then drive to Cleveland on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday.

"There's a tough part about that, because when you make that sacrifice, you're not only missing out on your childhood, but sitting in that car is not an easy thing," Shokalook said, in an exclusive FourFourTwo interview.

"As a kid, you have to get your schoolwork done, you have to be all in on that."

"I just felt like I had something where I never complained - my mom can back me on this - I just got in that car, took a nap, woke up, went to practice, and I did it. It was tough, but once I made the decision to go fully to soccer after sixth grade, that was where I decided that I was all-in, I wanted to be a pro, I was gonna do everything that I could to try and make that happen."

"From 6th grade until I was 18, I was constantly driving from Erie to Cleveland"

Shokalook left Pennsylvania on a permanent basis after enrolling in the University of Dayton, where he balanced a business degree with his soccer ambitions.

He enjoyed a breakthrough 2022 season that saw him score 9 goals in 18 appearances, before doing even better in his senior campaign with 14 goals and 5 assists in 17 outings, establishing himself as one of the top center-forwards in the collegiate game.

These stellar displays with the Zips would draw the attention of Chicago Fire, who selected him with the 35th pick of the 2024 MLS SuperDraft.

Beginning life there as a member of the supporting cast, in the shadow of MLS Next Pro Golden Boot winner David Poreba, Shokalook managed three goals and three assists in 27 appearances.

Then, in 2025, Shokalook exploded onto the scene with a league-high 20 goals, as well as a further two goals in the playoffs.

"I've been asked 'What's the difference between the Jason that scored three goals and the Jason that scored 22?' and honestly, my answer is: everything.

"I'm a very big believer in goal-setting, I set my goals for myself at the beginning of the season, and I took those way more serious. When you have a goal like win the Golden Boot of MLS Next Pro, you have to close that gap. Every day, you have to try and get closer to that, so everything turned up a notch for me."

"I was putting in extra work in the weight room, I had a lot more focus and was finishing better and more often, I was working on all types of different finishes. Off the field, I was also swimming and reading more books about the psychological part of games. I was stretching more and doing more core exercises, it's all of these little things that start to add up."

"I can't pick out one thing I can say that's made me change into [a player who scores] three goals to 22 goals, it was just a matter of doing everything more.

"Now, I want to try and take all of what I learned and take it into my first professional season with the first team and find out how I can keep progressing."

Shokalook made his first-team debut on June 7, coming on for the final quarter-hour and assisting the final goal in a 7-1 win at DC United, before dropping to the reserves for the remainder of the season.

This didn't disenchant him - it only convinced him to work harder. And it finally paid off on December 10 when Shokalook penned a professional contract with the Fire through 2026 with club options for 2027 and 2028.

"I'm super excited for the opportunity. It's definitely been a lot of anticipation for my contract to get announced, but overall, I'm just incredibly grateful that I'm being given this opportunity.

"In my mind, that's the one thing that it is: an opportunity. Now I have to go out and prove to the Chicago Fire organization and fans that I belong in that position to go and play with the first team and prove myself on that scale.

"It's been a crazy week, and a lot of people have reached out. I'm really grateful for all the support."

It hasn't been straightforward, but Shokalook has established himself as one of the best players in MLS Next Pro for Chicago Fire's reserves and written his name into the league's history with the Golden Boot award. Now, can he make the step up to MLS and deliver the goods in attack for a Fire team seeking its first trophy in two decades?