NEW YORK – The Philadelphia Union signed their second-ever Home Grown player on Monday, announcing that Union academy graduate Jimmy McLaughlin has agreed to a professional contract with the club.
Per Major League Soccer and club policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.
The 18-year-old midfielder saw action as a substitute for the first team in friendlies against Everton and Real Madrid this summer and played this fall at Colgate University, where he started 22 games and earned the Patriot League Rookie of the Year.
McLaughlin, who scored a goal and added three assists for Colgate, has also played for the Union’s reserve team and follows Zach Pfeffer, who was signed in December 2010, as the second player to emerge from Philadelphia’s youth ranks. He also played for Union Youth Development Affiliate FC DELCO, captaining the U-18 side.
The 5-foot-8 midfielder graduated from Great Valley High School and made his debut with the Union academy in 2010 at the U-17 SUM Cup.
