When he returned to his home state Texas in June, joining San Antonio FC on loan from Major League Soccer’s Seattle Sounders FC, Samuel Adeniran was ready to put everything he’d learned into practice.

“I was excited,” said the Houston native. “Once the opportunity to come up, came up, I knew immediately that I wanted to come out. [San Antonio FC Head Coach] Alen [Marcina] showed interest in me and made it clear to me that he wanted me out here to come and help the team be even better than they already were.”

The 24-year-old had first come to Marcina’s attention before he signed with former Championship club Tacoma Defiance prior to the 2021 season. The son of former Nigerian professional Adebisi Adeniran, Samuel’s powerful 6-foot-5 frame was coupled with a sharpness in his footwork that made him a challenging opponent.

While San Antonio didn’t face Tacoma directly during the division-heavy 2021 USL Championship campaign, Marcina continued to keep tabs on the striker as he scored 13 goals for the Defiance, earning a deal with the Sounders last offseason.

“He has the technical ability and the speed to beat players consistently off the dribble, which is impressive for somebody of that size and stature,” said Marcina of why SAFC targeted Adeniran for the club. “He’s one that we knew, had the ability to make good off the ball runs and he continues to enhance those movements with runs to get beyond the opponent’s last line. Then the other part was he’s very calm, composed and clinical in front of goal. I’d define him as a natural finisher.”

Competing for Belenenses, Adeniran was spotted by a scout for Leganes, and in 2018 he turned professional with the then-LaLiga club’s second team. After loan spells at other lower-division Spanish clubs, he headed to Germany and played for two regional-level clubs trying to find a breakthrough, but while that didn’t arrive, Adeniran believes the experiences he gained helped turn him into a player that can confidently adapt to situations he’s placed in.

“It was amazing,” he said. “A lot of things I’ve learned out there are, quite frankly, not really taught here in the States. So, it’s helped me to adapt. It’s helped me to feel like I can go to any team or any organization and be able to adapt quickly just because of the stuff that I’ve learned in Europe.

“Having to learn different languages, having to learn how to interact with different people, having to learn different tactics in different places – because obviously the football in Spain is different to the football in England, which is different to the football that’s played in Portugal. All of the places that I’ve been to, the tactics, the way they do things are completely different, so you need to be able to have an arsenal and say that I can adapt to anything.”

In the end, circumstance brought Adeniran home. After the COVID-19 outbreak caused the initial postponement and eventual abandonment of the 2020-21 Regionalliga Nord season, he was left looking for options to continue his career early in 2021. After requesting his release from his former club and impressing at a combine, the Sounders – via the Defiance – came calling.

“He's always smiling,” said Marcina. “He’s a happy person by nature, always with a smile on his face. It’s very infectious and all those smiles go a long way. Individually, he’s soft spoken a little bit, not a complete introvert. But on the field, he’s an absolute machine.”

Adeniran’s time in San Antonio has been rewarding beyond the field as well as on it, with the support he and the club have received in pursuit of a first postseason silverware for SAFC a motivator to end the season on a high.

As he looks to take the next step in his own winding professional path, Adeniran hopes his return to his home state ends with a Championship title to his name, as much for others as himself.

“To be able to give the fans what they want, it’s good to see everyone at the club so happy and excited for the Western Conference Final coming up, and then hopefully the USL Championship Final,” said Adeniran. “It’s just been amazing for me personally, to be able to help the team to get where they want to get to, and to be able to have a great group of guys help me as well. It’s amazing, and I’m enjoying every minute of it.”