Tyson Farago is about to start a new journey in his soccer career.

The 22-year old goalkeeper from Winnipeg will turn pro and sign a one-year deal with FC Edmonton of the North American Soccer League.

The deal also includes a club option for next season. It is expected to be finalized on Monday.

"Their coach contacted me and I gave him a call and things got rolling from there," says Farago.

"I've been waiting for a long time and have put in a lot of hard work. It's been a long road."

Farago recently spent time with WSA Winnipeg of the Premier Development League. He led the PDL with 106 saves in 14 games last season.

He says it will be a major leap to go from the PDL to the NASL, the second tier of professional soccer in North America below the MLS.

"It's a great stepping stone for me as a player if I want to go any level higher," says Farago. "It's a great opportunity and I'm going to take full advantage of this year."

Farago's year with Edmonton will start with pre-season in February when he will have a chance to compete for playing time.

"I spoke with (goalkeeper coach) Darren (Woloshen) and he said that there are two other goalkeepers at the moment.

"He said that I would be challenging the number one spot."

His resume is impressive for a young goalkeeper. He has experience with the Canadian national team and has played in Brazil and England.

"It's great getting professional experience out of Canada. It helps me learn new techniques and how to conduct myself in a professional environment. I think it definitely helped me towards my knowledge of becoming a professional soccer player."

During his time in England, Farago trained with former Chelsea players Gus Poyet and Tony Godden, who played goal professionally through the 1970s and 80s.

"I was there for about six months and I learned so much from them, especially Tony," said Farago. "I was with him every day and it was amazing to learn technique and the overall mental aspect of the game from him. It was a great experience."

Farago is the first player in WSA Winnipeg's history to sign a professional contract. The program's head coach Eduardo Badescu was excited for his player.

"Tyson is going to do very well. He has all of the right character," says Badescu. "His goalie technique is amazing and his physical ability is top-notch.

"He's made to be a professional. He gives everything for the team first and he works hard at everything he does."

Badescu says the PDL allows players like Farago to go up against other high calibre players and make the jump professionally when the time is ready.

"It gives them an opportunity to practice five times a week and play very good competition against the best players under 23 in North America."

Farago agrees that the experience playing in the PDL was beneficial to his career.

"I know that there are a lot of scouts that go to games and it's a great league to join especially with WSA, where they gave me a chance to shine.

"It's a great way to showcase myself to the MLS, USL, and NASL where I am going now."

With February just a few months away, Farago will spend much of that time preparing himself for his first professional season.

"The NASL is a high level league in Canada and North America and I'm looking forward to pushing myself to the next level."