Dom Dwyer knew he would be two things in life: a professional soccer player and a dad.

He insisted on the former when doctors told him to let the dream go. He engraved a promise of the latter on his body at 22 years old, before he ever met his wife.

Such clarity about the future is rare in a world where an injury can end a career and a phone call can mean moving across the country at a moment’s notice. But Dwyer, a striker for Orlando City, is no stranger to fighting for more than what seems possible.

“This is Latin,” Dwyer, 27, said pointing to a string of words tattooed on his arm. “It says, ‘Tell me I can’t, I’ll show you I can.’”

Nearby, a small clock face with no hands is nearly hidden among dozens of symbolic images — two lucky butterflies inked in the exact spot they landed years ago in Jamaica; a giant lion head everyone thinks is for Orlando City but represents the astrological sign Leo; a dove with wings that melt into London’s skyline; The symbol for “om” commissioned after riding elephants in Thailand; the date he signed his first professional contract; his longtime number, 14, which teammate Giles Barnes agreed to give him at the end of the season; the tree of life; “love;” a dream catcher and a compass; and the words “Whom shall I fear?”

The clock is incomplete and waiting for Dwyer to show he has realized his second dream.

“That was for my first-born child,” Dwyer said. “I just knew I wanted to be a dad. I have to get it filled in now with what time he was born.”

The time was 10:36 p.m. on Sept. 10, 2016, when Cassius Cruz Dwyer entered the world.

Olivia Brestal/Sporting Kansas City via AP Dom Dwyer, infant son Cassius and wife Sydney Leroux gather for Dwyer's naturalization ceremony at Charles Evans Whittaker Courthouse in Kansas City, Mo. Dom Dwyer, infant son Cassius and wife Sydney Leroux gather for Dwyer's naturalization ceremony at Charles Evans Whittaker Courthouse in Kansas City, Mo. (Olivia Brestal/Sporting Kansas City via AP)

Dom Dwyer never considered a future without soccer. Born in England, he grew up with visions of playing in the English Premier League and for his country’s national team.

At 17 years old, after recurring foot injuries, doctors told him a professional career was improbable.

“For me, that was just, it wasn’t really true to me,” Dwyer explained. “I was always going to play football, that was always my plan. Of course, I had doubts, but I got an opportunity to go to college and I — touch wood — stayed healthy, and I’ve been OK so far.”

He went to junior college in Texas and then played a year at USF before Sporting Kansas City drafted him in 2012 and he truly made the United States his home.

He became a U.S. citizen this year and debuted for the U.S. men's national team, which he called a dream come true.

Trips back to England are a must, though, to see his large, extended family. Dwyer’s mother and stepmother are both nurses. His older brother works in real estate and is a personal trainer. His stepfather is in the Air Force and his father is a former professional dancer who now works in IT.

“Of course I can dance,” Dwyer said, grinning while talking about his father’s past as a backup dancer for all genres, including ballet, jazz, contemporary and hip hop. “That’s where I get my twinkle toes.”

He had what he considered a good upbringing, and close family relationships that made him certain he wanted a family of his own one day.

That vision became more clear when he met U.S. women’s national team forward Sydney Leroux in 2013. They hit off right away, he said, laughed a lot and quickly became more than friends.

While vacationing together in Los Angeles after about a year of dating, the couple decided they wanted to get married.

“We actually just went a bit crazy,” Dwyer said. “We were down at the pier, got some rings and just went for it.”

They went to the courthouse that night, and dealt with telling their families later. No one believed them at first, but all were happy for the newlyweds. A formal wedding was held in Kansas City nine months later.

Dwyer’s family had begun.

He intends to tattoo the clock hands fixed at Cassius’ birth time this offseason and that likely won’t be the last tattoo he gets.

“Just that joy on his face when he wakes up in the morning … you kind of realize what life’s all about, really,” Dwyer said of his son. “My wife, I think she wants four [children.] I wanted two, so we’ll probably have four.”

Life took a turn when Sporting Kansas City traded Dwyer to Orlando City at the end of July. He’d wanted to play for the Lions since helping them win the United Soccer League title while on loan from SKC in 2013, but the move meant leaving Leroux, who plays for FC Kansas City in the National Women’s Soccer League, and his 10-month-old baby behind.

His days now include a lot of FaceTime.

“It’s not the ideal life, but it’s not forever,” he said.

For now, his new teammates are his family and he’s getting to know them well, couch surfing until he finds an apartment to rent. His home in Kansas City is for sale, he said, and his wife and son will join him in Orlando during the offseason.

Until then, he has his Goldendoodle puppy, Ziggy, named after a dachshund his grandparents used to have, to keep him company. Ziggy flew down with Dwyer and in pictures of his arrival can be seen in a small carrier held by the club’s team administration manager and Dwyer's former 2013 Orlando City teammate, Erik Ustruck, as they walk through Orlando International Airport.

Getting settled in his personal life, however, isn’t the main focus right now. Figuring things out on the soccer pitch is priority No. 1.

Dwyer joined the team, bringing a lot of buzz, hype and hope that he could single-handedly turn the season around. He left for MLS All-Star week a few days later, returned and then missed time due to a broken nose. The Lions’ playoff hopes were nearly dead before he finally got two full weeks of training in with the group ahead of Orlando City’s match Saturday against the New England Revolution.

Dwyer now has three starts in four appearances, yet entered Saturday still is waiting for his first goal back in purple. Coach Jason Kreis said last week he expected Dwyer to break through in New England.

“Not to put any undue pressure on him, but I think he can handle it,” Kreis said. “I think he’s the guy that can be pressured a little bit to score goals, and I think it’s time. He’s training well, he’s playing well, he’s getting chances in the game and now it’s about putting them away.”

Beyond this season, there are a lot of unknowns. Dwyer still has not signed a new contract with Orlando City, meaning the club risks losing him after committing $1.6 million of allocation money to get him.