The Oakton, Va., native becomes the 17th local prospect since 2009 to join the MLS club but the first to follow a secondary path.
Like his predecessors, the midfielder began in United’s youth academy. In 2019, at age 17, he began playing as an amateur for Loudoun United, D.C.'s second-division pro team. A year later, when D.C. did not offer him an MLS deal, he settled for a USL Championship contract with the Loudoun squad.
“The goal was always to play first-team soccer,” he said in an interview this week. “My outlook was always positive, even though you could say I took a slower route.