Hartford Sign 2022 MLS NEXT All-Star Ian Shaul
The 18-year-old signs a USL Academy Contract that will allow him to honor his commitment to Notre Dame in 2024.
Following the conclusion of Hartford Athletic’s first preseason practice last week, Head Coach Brendan Burke mentioned that part of his roster-building strategy included brining in “18-19 year old talents who, by the time they’re 25, could be household names in other countries.”
The first such addition comes in the form of 18-year-old Ian Shaul, who’s signing with Hartford Athletic was announced pending league and federation approval. Shaul will become the youngest player on Hartford’s near-complete 2024 roster following stints with multiple Major League Soccer academies and a U-17 U.S. National Team call-up.
Shaul began his youth career in 2018 in his home State of Minnesota, playing a pair of seasons with their academy before making the move to Portland. He would make his professional debut at on March 30, 2022 at age 16 after two years with the Timbers academy, featuring in 24 games for Timbers 2 in MLS Next Pro between 2022-23 and scoring one goal.
The midfielder made 18 starts for the Timbers reserves in his two seasons, maintaining an 84% passing accuracy in just under 1,500 minutes. His time with the U17 team also earned him a call to the 2022 MLS NEXT All-Star game, where he featured for the West in a 2-1 loss in Minnesota. Later that year, Shaul was called up to the U-17 U.S. National Team Camp in Chula Vista, California, where he made a pair of appearances in his youth national team debut.
Now, the teenager comes to Hartford looking to earn first-team minutes for the first time in his career.
“Signing a player as young and talented as Ian is massive for our Academy,” Burke said in a club release. “Few players his age have his level of quality and experience. We expect him to compete for minutes on our first team and be a prime example of the talent that can develop rapidly through the professional environment that we provide.”
Shaul will sign for Hartford on a USL Academy Contract, which allows college players to maintain their eligibility while playing professionally. Similar to Dren Drobruna’s contract last season, Shaul’s deal will honor his commitment to Notre Dame and begin his freshman campaign for the Fighting Irish in 2024.