It’s the sort of stage every young player has dreams about playing on.

While Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium wasn’t close to capacity on February 23, 2023, for Cambridge United academy player George Scales, the atmosphere provided by almost 8,000 fans – nearly 3,000 of which had followed Cambridge’s U-18s to North London – in the Quarterfinals of the 2022-23 FA Youth Cup gave a sense of what the future could hold.

“That’s been the best year of my life in football, on and off the pitch,” Scales said recently. “It was so enjoyable playing in every stadium, especially playing at the Emirates. I mean, we had 3,000 in the away end in a big crowd, and then you just get a taste for what it could be, professional football, full time. Yeah, it was very good, a very good experience.”

A Cambridge native, Scales had joined United’s Academy as a 15-year-old aiming to make it in the professional ranks with his hometown club. That season, Cambridge punched above its weight in the FA Youth Cup, defeating Sheffield Wednesday and Chelsea U-18s in the deepest run the club had made in the tournament in its history. The U’s eventually fell 3-2 to Arsenal on a goal in second-half stoppage time, but the night was one to remember.

Scales went on to make his First Team debut in November, 2023, as one of the club’s Scholars – the equivalent of players competing in the USL Championship or League One as a USL Academy signing. He played the full 90 minutes in a 4-1 win against Tottenham Hotspur’s U-21 side in the EFL Trophy.

“It's obviously ideal playing for the city you were born in,” said Wilkinson. “Obviously, I loved it, couldn’t say a bad thing about it, really. They developed me as a footballer and also as a person.

“[Being told your time at the club is over,] it’s not what any kid wants to hear. As bad as it sounds, you’ve worked your full life for that opportunity, and then to get turned away, it’s difficult. But you’ve got to be resilient, not only as a footballer, but as a person, and them decisions are what make and break you.”

For both Wilkinson and Scales, the next opportunity in the game could lie in the United States. Alongside a collection of other former Scholars from EFL Championship, League One and League Two clubs, they’re currently taking the opportunity to showcase their talents as part of a new partnership between the USL and the English Football League and League Football Education (LFE).

“Everyone’s dream is to play in England,” said Hilton of his path. “When that doesn’t happen, especially at that age, it’s hard to see what the next step is. Do you have to drop down levels in the English pyramid, play part-time and get a job?

“But, to see the opportunities out here to continue playing full-time football? I think it’s definitely eye-opening for them to see, yeah, there is a clear opportunity for them to carry on and play at a really high level. It might be the college system, or it might be coming straight into the USL Championship or League One.”

Hearing from a player with Hilton’s experience was something both Scales and Wilkinson appreciated.

“Obviously, it’s a very different pathway to the traditional way you come through in the English academies,” said Wilkinson. “It just shows that if you’re willing to put the graft in, if you’re willing to take the opportunities when they come to you, good things can come of it. He’s obviously a very talented individual. He’s worked hard at college, and once that opportunity has been given to him, he’s taken it. It shows that if you take the same opportunities, then you could be in a similar position to him.”

Having recently marked his 250th regular season appearance in the USL Championship, Hilton is among the league’s all-time appearance leaders. He’s also built a life away from the field since moving to the United States as an 18-year-old, including an upcoming wedding in January to his American fiancée.

But the USL Championship and League One have more recently begun offering pathways back across the Atlantic. A trio of alums can currently be found in EFL League One, where former USL Championship players Tola Showumni and Jeremy Kelly are with Crawley Town after moves in the past 12 months from Louisville City FC and FC Tulsa respectively, while Nick Akoto is with Burton Albion after his move from South Georgia Tormenta FC in USL League One.

Add the moves being made by players during the summer and winter transfer windows to clubs in other countries in Europe, and there’s now a visible level of opportunity to build a career in both leagues that continues to rise.

For Hilton, it’s a sign of how the leagues are growing and the rising standard of quality that can be found for players aiming to make their mark.

“That shows the level of player that’s in the USL Championship,” said Hilton. “Now you get more and more players making that jump to Europe, it just validates the standard of the USL Championship. It’s great to see it become bigger in the world soccer market.”

For players like Wilkinson and Scales, finding their way into that space is the ultimate goal of their trip to the United States. As enjoyable as the opportunity to broaden their horizons might be – bonding on the field through soccer has brought out the personalities of the players off the field, leading to new friendships being formed and a visible camaraderie within the group – the aim is focused on finding the next step in their ambition to build a professional career in the game.