Jack McInerney, the #1 ranked player in the TopDrawerSoccer.com’s Players To Watch list for 2010, has signed a Generation adidas contract with Major League Soccer.

McInerney, who played his club soccer at Cobb FC in suburban Atlanta, has been with the U17 Men’s National Team’s Bradenton, FL, residency program for the past 2 ½ years. He was the leading scorer for the U.S. team both at the CONCACAF Qualifying Tournament and the FIFA U17 World Cup.

McInerney had a week-long trial with Dutch club Vitesse Arnhem in the fall, but ultimately decided to go with MLS.

The clinical striker said previous cases of young players signing with MLS and then failing to get proper match time was not a concern with him, despite the league’s lack of a Reserve setup.

“I couldn’t tell you that (I’ll start), but I know myself and I push myself every day,” he said. “Even if I don’t start for the first 20 games I’ll still push myself in practice to earn a spot. It may not come right away but eventually it will.”

McInerney said he has wanted to be a professional ever since he moved to play for coach Steve Gummer at Cobb in the U12 age group.

“I noticed I was scoring the goals and the way people would talk to me after games,” he said. “I guess I was standing out. (Gummer) pushed me and he always talked about me needing to be a complete player. I kept pushing toward that and then I made residency.”

McInerney said the development windfall of the Bradenton Residency program was instrumental to his realizing the dream of signing a professional contract.

“Going to residency is probably the best decision I ever made,” he said. “There’s nowhere else in the U.S. you can play those tough games at that speed of play. It meant some sacrifices but it was definitely worth it.”

Despite landing in MLS, McInerney said the European trial was helpful.

“My goal the whole time was to play in Europe, and I still want to go there someday,” he said. “I wanted to go there and show myself and play the best that I can. Coming back I knew how it was to play against professionals over there. Even though I’m not going to play in Europe I would still like to go there.”

He said playing time, environment and distance from family were major factors in his decision to start his professional career in the U.S.

McInerney also just completed a training camp with the U20 Men’s National Team under coach Thomas Rongen at the Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, Calif. He is in the mix for a camp and tournament in Mexico next month.