HE BELONGS NEXT TO JOZY:

At 16, Diego Fagundez still building pro career: He‘s trying to adjust to life as a professional soccer player with the Revolution (Frank Dell’Apa, 12/06/11, Boston GLOBE)

Figuring out where he belongs is not getting any easier for Diego Fagundez.

Like other 16-year-olds, Fagundez returned to classes last week. But in many ways, Fagundez is not the same teenager who enrolled as a freshman at Leominster High School last year.

Since signing a contract with the Revolution Nov. 15, 2010. Fagundez has displayed the talent that could lead to a productive professional career. That contract also enabled Fagundez to acquire a P1 work visa, which allows athletes (and entertainers) to work in the United States temporarily. Having the contract and the visa also allowed Fagundez to visit his birthplace, Uruguay, for the first time since he was 4 years old. He could return home without the worry of getting back into the United States. [...]

Fagundez got a look at both his past and possible future last month during a trip to South America that also highlighted another potential identity crisis — Fagundez is eligible to perform for Uruguay’s national team, but not for the United States.

“I got to see some of my family for the first time in 12 years,’’ Fagundez said. “I also went to see soccer games and soccer is different there. Over there it’s physical, the same as here. But it’s a different style of play. Here it is more direct. Over there, there is a lot of kicking each other and stuff. I saw Uruguay and Chile play and that was one of the best experiences I’ve had, [Luis] Suarez scored four goals in that game.’’

Fagundez has emerged as a candidate for Uruguay’s Under 20 team — anyone named for a former Uruguay national teamer (Diego Dorta, a close friend of Fagundez’s father) would consider that prospect. And Fagundez might not have a choice, since he was born in Montevideo and is not a US citizen.

“They were trying to talk to me about training with the team,’’ Fagundez said of the Uruguayan contacts. “But since I left, I’ll see if they talk with the [Revolution] coaches and see if they want to call me.

“I want to play for a country, not just for a club team. I want to play for a national team and that’s been a dream for a while. I want to play for the US if I get the chance. It’s a matter of who’s going to come first.’’

Uruguay won the Copa America this year and reached the semifinals of the World Cup last year. The national team is a major player on the international scene and its team members are earning big money in Europe. Being called in to the Celeste program can be a ticket to riches.

Meanwhile, Fagundez is making $53,000 annually, according to the MLS Players Union, and trying to establish a role on a team likely to be revamped under new coach Jay Heaps.