PEORIA, Ill. – Get to know more about Bradley Soccer Ardit Abdullai.

Abdullai, originally from Hinsdale, Illinois, is one of the newest additions to the 2024 soccer roster.

He started playing soccer at the age of six years old. He played for Raiders FC between six and ten years old. Between ages 10-13, he played for Naperville International Soccer Club. The last club he played before coming to Bradley was Eclipse Select Soccer Club between ages 13 and 18.

In his downtime, Abdullai enjoys spending time with family and friends. Recently, he got into a new hobby that brings him peace and relaxation.

"Over the summer, I started golfing. I think it's a lot of fun and calming," Abdullai said. "We try to go to the course as much as we can. We would go and just have fun. Especially if you have a lot of things going on, I found it to be a stress reliever. It helps you to calm yourself down,"

Another activity Abdullai enjoys is watching soccer. He grew up watching the Premier League and La Liga with his dad and brother. He watched many players who were role models for him.

"I really like watching Carvajal and Kimmich. Those are my two favorite players right now. When I was little, I always used to look up to Ronaldo and his work ethic. I feel like it was a good representation for younger kids for someone to look up to," Abdullai said.

Abdullai shared the thing he is most grateful for in his life.

"I am most grateful for the close people in my life, like my parents, my brother, my sister, my grandparents, because I have lived with them my entire life," Abdullai said. "They are the ones that motivate me every day and push me to keep going at what I do. They support me every step of the way, and I am grateful for that,"

Abdullai has many long-term goals, but the most crucial goal is finishing his education.

"I want to get an engineering degree. That has been the biggest thing for me now," Abdullai said. "I have a lot of family that have them. My brother has one, and my dad as well. Seeing the things they have been able to do with it, it seems really cool to me, and that is something I want to accomplish,"

He shared his personal goal for the 2024 season.

"I would love to win the conference tournament. I feel like that would be really cool," Abdullai said. "Coming into the team, I have heard a lot of the guys, they have been saying this year that the squad has been looking really good and really solid, and I feel like the training is really good so just hoping I can contribute in any way possible and we can make that dream a reality,"

Watch Abdullai on the field during the 2024 fall season at Shea Stadium.