Red Bulls Academy made a number of signings this summer, bolstering rosters at all age-levels heading into the 2020-2021 season. Many of those signings highlight Red Bulls’ Player Pathway and the club’s commitment to youth development.
September signing Aneel Ward, a U14 goalkeeper, joined from Red Bulls Youth Programs official partner club Hoboken City FC.
“Aneel is a rare combination of size and power for such a young player,” said Academy Scout Fouad Kawtari. “From a goalkeeping standpoint, we are really excited for Aneel to join us at this stage of his development and allow the Red Bulls Academy to act as the launching pad to fulfill his soccer aspirations.”
Defender Jun Tanaka joined the U12 Academy team from Red Bulls Pre-Academy after previously playing for official youth partner Harrison Youth Soccer Club (NY), featuring on a Red Bulls Select squad, and playing for Red Bulls Regional Development School (RDS).
“Jun is an amazing talent with an unbelievable left foot. He is extremely coachable and dedicated to improvement and his love for the game,” said Pete Coughlan, Director of Coaching & Player Development at HYSC. “Jun was always taking part in any extra training opportunities with the club or with Red Bulls such as summer camps, clinics, RDS programs to name a few and it certainly shows in his player DNA.”
“It is amazing to see Jun's progress and our pathway at work,” added Brian Keevil, Regional Manager for Red Bulls Youth Programs. “That progress is a true testament to all the great work Harrison Youth Soccer Club and the Red Bull Select program have done to create an environment for players like Jun to thrive.”
Forward Jonathan Condor joined the U12 squad also from Red Bulls Pre-Academy after playing with RDS and starting his development at Just One Soccer League at only four years old.
“The fearless nature in which Jonathan plays the game combined with his wonderful creativeness is a joy to watch,” said Gareth Tyack, Manager of Red Bulls Pre-Academy. “Off the field he is incredibly humble and respectful and is truly a credit to himself, his family and everyone at JOSL who played a part in his early development. We are excited to watch him continue to grow and develop within our system.”
Finally, twin midfielders Hudson and Liam Sherwood, formerly of New York City’s West Side Soccer League, joined the U12 Academy team from Red Bulls Pre-Academy, having also participated in the RDS program.
“We are delighted to have played a small part in their development journey and we look forward to watching them continue to flourish within our Academy structure,” Pre-Academy Manager Gareth Tyack said.
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New York Red Bulls has a long been at the forefront of player development in North America, with 22 official Homegrown Players and numerous other academy graduates featuring at the professional level.
The last weekend of August featured five RDS graduates across the Red Bulls and NYRB II matches, including Ben Mines notching his first MLS assist and Jake Lacava scoring his first two professional goals.
Red Bulls Academy is undefeated so far this season, outscoring opponents 75-11 over 14 victories.
RDS clinics are now enrolling for the fall season, as are Youth Programs clinics and camps – the starting launch point of the Red Bulls Player Pathway.
Learn more about Academy spotlighted signings here.
