Sporting Kansas City II has signed 21-year-old U.S. youth international Aedan Stanley ahead of the 2021 USL Championship season, the club announced today. Stanley will officially be added to the SKC II roster pending league and federation approval.
Stanley spent the 2020 USL Championship season with Portland Timbers 2, starting all 16 games and playing every minute of the season at left back. He recorded two assists, placing him second on the team in that category. Shortly after the conclusion of the 2020 campaign, Timbers 2 announced that the team would be going on hiatus for the 2021 season.
Prior to signing his first professional contract with Timbers 2, Stanley spent two years competing in the collegiate ranks with perennial NCAA powerhouse Duke University. He made 37 appearances across his freshman and sophomore seasons, tallying three assists while earning All-ACC Academic Team honors in each season, as well as a spot on the All-ACC Freshman Team.
Born and raised in Columbia, Illinois – a suburb of St. Louis – Stanley was developed in the Saint Louis FC Academy. Stanley earned Central Conference Best XI honors four years in succession: U-15/16s Best XI in 2015 and 2016, U-17/18s Best XI in 2017 and U-18/19s Best XI in 2018. Stanley also earned United Soccer Coaches All-America honors in 2016 and 2017.
He signed an Academy contract with Saint Louis FC of the USL Championship in 2016 as a 16-year-old and made his professional debut in a 2-2 draw against OKC Energy FC on Sept. 24, 2016. Stanley appeared in a total of 20 games for the club over a three-year period from 2016-2018 before joining the Duke Blue Devils.
On the international stage, Stanley represented the U.S. extensively at the Under-18 level and was also called up to the U.S. U-20s for a number of training camps and matches in 2017 and 2018.
VITALS
Aedan Stanley
Position: Defender
Born: 12/13/1999 (21 years old)
Height: 5-11
Weight: 175 lbs.
Hometown: Columbia, Illinois
Birthplace: Columbia, Illinois
Citizenship: USA
College: Duke University
Previous Club: Portland Timbers 2 (USL Championship)
Twitter: @astan_13
Instagram: @astan_13
