They may only be in their second MLS season, but the Montreal Impact are reaping the fruits of their academy.
On Tuesday, the club signed 19-year-old creative midfielder Zakaria Messoudi as a Homegrown player, making him the fifth academy product to go pro and join the first team.
According to a club release, the Morocco-born Messoudi joined the Impact Academy in 2010 and has trained with the first team throughout the 2013 MLS season. He also featured in three matches for the Canadian Under-20 national team during CONCACAF U-20 World Cup qualifying.
"I am very excited to have signed my first pro contract with the club," Messoudi said in a club statement. "In a way, it's a dream that is coming true as I've been a part of the club for over three years now and it is the culmination of a lot of hard work."
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It may not be too long before Messoudi sees action with Impact sporting director Nick De Santis citing the need for depth with upcoming CONCACAF Champions League and MLS Reserve League matches on the horizon.
"Even though he's only 19 years old, he's never looked out of place around the first team," De Santis said in a club statement. "He's young and has a lot of potential."
Messoudi joins four other Impact Academy products on the first-team roster: Karl W. Ouimette, Maxim Tissot, Wandrille Lefèvre and Maxime Crépeau.
