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“We talk about them as professional football players, but sometimes we forget they’re only 17-year-old kids,” Paulus said. “So they still do the same things that other 17 year olds do and now we have to work him on what things he can and can’t do. Everything from nutrition as far as his sleep patterns go and what to post on social media. When his friends are going out on a Friday night, what’s he doing? This will make him different, and if he does the right things, it’ll set him apart.”

Velado-Tsegaye has learned to be conscious of things he posts on his social media accounts. And despite his young age, realizes playing soccer professionally is a job and must be treated as such. That often means turning friends down for a night out, particularly during the season.

“That actually happens often, friends want to go out at night and stay a little late, and I have to go home earlier and prepare for a day of training,” Velado-Tsegaye said. “But my friends are all understanding, they all play soccer as well. They all support me, they all come here, watch the games online. It’s fine, we still hang out while we can.”

A friend of Alphonso Davies, who parlayed his talent to a contract with Bayern Munich of the German Bundesliga, who recently won their league championship, Velado-Tsegaye is hoping to take a similar path. Paulus sees a lot of similarities in the 18-year-old Davies and Velado-Tsegaye.

“We saw Alphonso Davies and the impact he had with the Vancouver Whitecaps last year before they sold him, he was their most important player in their MLS season,” Paulus said. “I think Marcus has the same characteristics, the same qualities, he can come in here and change a game like he did. He’ll be given his chances, we’re going to take care of him as far as monitoring his minutes and how often he plays. We’ll also have to try and keep him grounded and keep him having the same work ethic to what got him here.”

Email: dvandiest@postmedia.com

On Twitter: @DerekVanDiest