Louisville City FC's Sunny Jane has envisioned the moment in his head.

He'll start in the locker room by putting on his purple jersey. Then he'll head through the tunnel and take his forward spot at Louisville Slugger Field. That's when it'll hit him that he's representing the city he's called home since age 13.

"It’s going to be electrifying," said the 27-year-old Jane. "I’m really looking forward to it, and I cannot wait for it, I'm just so excited."

It's a moment he's been preparing for since Louisville City was founded five years ago. It's taken stints in North Carolina, Virginia and Cambodia to get here. And a little bit of coaxing from former coaches and teammates to get him on the roster.

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It's already included a goal in his team debut, a road game. An ankle injury in his second, another road game, and a long absence since. But when he makes his home debut, that vision will become a reality.

"I’ve always wanted to come back," he said. "The first time I heard that Louisville was going to have a team, my initial thought was no matter where I am, my age, I have to come back and try to represent my home team.”

The actual reality is that the moment began in 2005, when Tsotleho Jane first moved to Louisville from Lesotho, a land-locked nation that is within the border of South Africa.

Jane and his friend, Lepe Seetane, opted to leave home in pursuit of a professional soccer career. They were put in contact with Thabane Sutu, a fellow countryman and Louisville soccer coach, who helped bring them to the United States.

The first time Sutu saw them play soccer was with other middle schoolers at a field in Anchorage. He said he "could tell straight away" they were going to be stars.

"After like 10 minutes, we knew, ‘Oh my God, we have some really good players,'" he recalled.

Sutu remembered Jane was funny, too, and liked to joke around while remaining humble. Those were the same factors that earned him his nickname "Sunny."

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Both Jane and Seetane went on to star at Trinity High School. Then Seetane headed to Northwestern, and Jane to Maryland. After college, Jane signed with the Wilmington Hammerheads of the Premier Development League in 2014.

It was during that summer that Louisville announced it was getting a professional soccer team: Louisville City FC. Sutu was hired as its goalkeepers coach, and knew Jane was interested in a roster spot.

Sutu helped organize a training invite for Jane with Louisville City in 2015, but he didn't sign a contract, and instead headed to a different United Soccer League team, the Richmond Kickers, for 2016 and 2017.

Jane played at Louisville Slugger Field, only as an opponent, and then headed to Phnom Penh Crown in Cambodia for the 2018 season.

Sutu said the reason Jane wasn't signed in Louisville previously was because his playing style didn't fit the system of previous Louisville City coach James O'Connor.

But when O'Connor — and Sutu — headed to coach MLS' Orlando City SC, Sutu put in a call to the new coach, John Hackworth.

"I didn’t need really need to sell him that much because coach knew him already from his college days," Sutu said.

Hackworth, who serves as the team's de facto general manager, joked that Sutu is still a member of the team's staff. But he said the fact that Jane "wanted to be here" was the deciding factor in his signing.

"This is the only place he really wanted to be and he wanted to come back and make sure everybody in this community knows who he is and what he’s capable of doing," Hackworth said.

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Jane received another endorsement, from midfielder Brian Ownby, his teammate in Richmond. He earned the benefit of another Sutu recommendation, Louisville City midfielder Napo Matsoso, who is also from Lesotho.

Jane handled the rest and he was on a plane to Louisville.

“When I was on the flight, I was like, ‘Wow, first thing I’m doing is going to Sapporo, getting some sushi, hibachi,'" he said with a smile.

Jane has since spent his time catching up with friends, visiting Trinity and rejoicing with his host family, who still live here. And training with his new squad.

"It’s always a good thing and a dream to come back to your local home and play for your local team," he said. "I’ll say it’s something special for sure."

On the field, Hackworth said Jane brings a lot to the team.

"His ability to unlock a defense off the dribble or with his passes is special."

Like in the season opener against North Carolina FC. Ownby drove down the left side of the field and played a cross that found Jane in the 18-yard box. He buried the ball into the net with his left foot, his team's only goal in a 4-1 loss.

"It wasn’t as special as I thought because we lost the game," Jane said. "In my mind, it didn’t really matter that much. But it was good to break the ice in the first game and score."

Jane got hurt in the team's next game, and hasn't played since. He's become part of a crowded training room that also includes Ownby (knee), midfielder Paolo DelPiccolo (soreness), goalie Chris Hubbard (leg) and midfielder Richie Ballard (hip).

All five are unlikely to play Saturday at home against Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC. Heading into the game, Hackworth admits his team's depth — one of its strengths before the season — is being tested.

"That’s tough but it’s exactly why you have depth," he said. "We have confidence in every guy on our roster to go perform when they’re called upon.”

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Jane said he's waiting for the swelling and pain to go away before getting back on the field and there's no timetable for a return. It's delayed his goal for the team — to win the team's third straight championship — and his personal one.

“For me, I want to have the best season I’ve ever had in my life and be the best I can for the team," he said.

But Sutu said it's not a matter of if he gets there, it's when.

“Once he gets going, he’s going to dedicate all efforts to Louisville. I think the best of him is yet to come," he said.

Justin Sayers: 502-582-4252; jsayers@courierjournal.com; Twitter: @_JustinSayers. Support strong local journalism by subscribing today: courier-journal.com/justins.