By Chris Tiner
Khalid Hersi may not have been a household name among Maine soccer fans before the Hearts of Pine Open Combine in December 2024, but his MVP performance quickly changed that. The Lewiston native, a midfielder who started playing at age 4, developed his skills through youth leagues and a standout season at Lewiston High School, where he played in the state final his freshman year. Then he continued his career at the University of Southern Maine (USM), where he played 15 games as a freshman.
After his time at USM, Hersi played two seasons for Wahda United FC in the United Premier Soccer League (UPSL). His stellar play and knowledge of the game earned him a spot on the UPSL Team of the Season. “Playing in the UPSL helped me a lot in my growth, being at a semi-professional level,” he said. “Playing two seasons there helped me on and off the field because I was being provided with a lot of things – my game matured a lot once I came there, and I was able to mature a lot as well.”
Family is everything for Hersi, not just the family-oriented feel of the Hearts of Pine Club, but his own family, which he calls “his biggest motivation.” He grew up in a Somali family in Lewiston, one of nine siblings. His parents immigrated from Somalia to Atlanta, Georgia, where Hersi was born. They relocated to Lewiston when Hersi was 2. “My parents have to be my biggest motivators – to be honest, my whole family, but my two parents have worked their butt off to do everything for me and provide for me to be in the position I am in right now.”
Hersi often refers to the theme of family. After he became the first-ever Mainer to sign with the Hearts of Pine Club, he likened the team to a family, saying, “People look out for each other … on and off the field. Whether you are injured or not satisfied with your play, people are always checking on you and wanting to be there for you. … It is really hard to describe it, to be honest, but I think the best word to describe it would have to be family. … We treat each other like family.”
ADVERTISEMENT
After the club’s first win in Hersi’s hometown of Lewiston, Hearts of Pine Founder and Chief Community Officer Gabe Hoffman-Johnson said, “His mom made a meal for the entire team and the entire front office afterward. It was an incredibly special evening after that victory. He knows what it is like to be from Maine, play in Maine, and bring the family-oriented culture to this club.”
When asked what it means to be the first Mainer chosen to be on this brand-new, Maine-rooted team in its inaugural season, Hersi said, “Having the opportunity to play soccer in the state where I grew up is something I could never have dreamed of. The only thing I can do now is take advantage of it and try my best to move up.”
The Hearts of Pine Club has swiftly galvanized attention from Maine sports fans since the team announced its inaugural 2025 season. Hoffman-Johnson said about Hersi, “Khalid is a very talented young player. One of the most interesting things Khalid brings to the table is how he inspires every single young Mainer. Soccer is the most participated-in youth sport in Maine. Being a kid from Lewiston, Maine, every young kid can look up to Khalid and say, ‘I can be there one day.’ ”
Becoming a role model for children would put a lot of pressure on most young players, but Hersi is no regular young man. He embraces his role and hopes to show kids that achieving their dreams is possible if they persevere. “Being in this position kind of helps young kids, like I once was, a lot. Having a professional team in your state is a huge motivator to aspire to become a professional one day. The best version of me is just giving them the advice that they need and being a good role model for them.”
Winning the MVP award at an open combine and then a spot on a professional team is no small accomplishment. However, Hersi has not let that go to his head. Instead, he continued to show up as the same player he had always been – one dedicated to his craft. “It gave me a boost of confidence, but winning MVP doesn’t guarantee anything,” he said. “You still have to show other parts of who you are, on and off the field, as a human being. Some of those are the most important aspects to show, even more than your game.”
Hoffman-Johnson seconded Hersi’s remarks: “We always knew we wanted someone from Maine on the team eventually, but it had to be earned. It wasn’t something we went out of our way to find. Khalid has worked very hard and earned his spot through things like the open combine and showing us his work ethic and personality. We are very proud to have him in this club.”
The Hearts of Pine founder told Amjambo that a team’s inaugural season is important. It builds a foundation for the team’s culture for the years to come, and sets the tone for how the team views itself and how it wants to be viewed: “We’re a community-based club, and that’s important to us,” he said. “Whether it’s visiting schools, attending local events, or just helping out, being involved is a big part of our team culture.”
Every professional soccer player has another player they like to use as a model for their game. In Hersi’s case, it’s Martin Ødegaard, a Norwegian professional footballer who is a midfielder and captain for the Premier League club Arsenal. “I try to play like Ødegaard. He plays a very beautiful game. We both play midfield, and I would say we play the position a bit differently, but I find him to be one of my current players I try to model my game after.”
As such a young player with the prime of his playing career ahead of him, Hersi has great visions of where he hopes to see himself in the next couple of years. “With the potential and soccer ability I have, I see myself in three to five years playing somewhere in Europe,” he said.
With a slight smile on his face, he said, “That is my goal: learn everything that I can during my time here in this league, and then in a couple of years from now, maybe move up to USL Championship or MLS. My goal is to be in Europe for the next step of my playing career.”
Hersi is a talented young player who will be showing his talent not only for the state of Maine but the whole country in the coming years. His passion, leadership, and deep knowledge of the game could carry him to heights that only a select few Mainers have ever been able to accomplish in their playing careers.
