Q&A with Francis Bonsu, the Gatorade New York Boys Soccer Player of the Year

Bonsu, a star at the Millbrook School, will continue his soccer career at UCLA

Francis Bonsu, a native of Ghana, was named the Gatorade New York Boys Soccer Player of the Year following a three-year prep career at the Millbrook School. Bonsu is set to continue his career at UCLA. / Francis Bonsu

Francis Bonsu has come a long way from his days of growing up in his native Ghana.

Bonsu developed a deep passion for soccer. When he started playing the sport he loves, Bonsu took it and ran with it.

An exchange student from the Right to Dream Academy in his home country, Bonsu went on to have a solid three-year high school prep career at the Millbrook School in Dutchess County.

A 101 career goals later, Bonsu was recognized as the 2024-25 Gatorade New York Boys Soccer Player of the Year. Bonsu also has three All-New England Prep School Athletic Council Class C selections under his belt.

Bonsu is ranked the seventh-best recruit in the Class of 2025 by PrepSoccer.com. Soon, he will be heading to UCLA to begin his collegiate soccer career.

We recently chatted with Bonsu about his Gatorade POY nod, his time at the Millbrook School, his love for soccer and more.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by UCLA MEN'S SOCCER (@uclamsoccer)

Q: How does it feel to be named the Gatorade New York Player of the Year?

A: “It feels good. It just shows how much work that I’ve put in to be where I’m at right now. To get this recognition means a lot. I’m grateful for it.”

Q: What do you appreciate the most about the game of soccer and your career so far?

A: “I enjoy the feeling of it. You’re not always going to win games, and other teams are going to win, so it all comes down to how you get back up after losing. It’s about redeeming myself. I’ve really appreciated the people I have come in contact with, including my host family, my coaches and my teammates. Everything I’ve done and everything I’m able to do is because of them. They’re just great people.”

Q: Tell me about your time in Ghana to now in America?

A: “I participated in a tryout at the academy. They help kids in Ghana and throughout Africa achieve their dreams of being professional soccer players. I tried out and got a scholarship to go to the academy for five years. During that time I was grinding it out every single day. I decided that I wanted to come to America and play soccer and go to school here at the same time.”

Q: Overall, how do you think the experience at Millbrook School was for you?

A: “It was good. There were a lot of different people I interacted with and the culture was different. I stuck to it pretty well, though. I played basketball and did a little bit of track and field as well.”

Q: What was it like playing sports other than soccer?

A: “It was different, but I still had that competitive edge that I have in soccer. The game of soccer is something I grew up loving, but shifting from soccer changes the perspective on how you see those other sports.”

Q: When it came time to pick a destination to continue your soccer career, what made you choose UCLA?

A: “When I visited UCLA, the tour went well. The coaches and the people are great. The weather was a big factor because I can’t play in cold weather. I’m looking forward to playing at UCLA soon.”

Download the SBLive App

To get live updates on your phone — as well as follow your favorite teams and top games — you can download the SBLive Sports app: Download iPhone App | Download Android App