Sporting Kansas City II announced today that the club has signed Sporting Kansas City Academy midfielder Shane Donovan to an MLS NEXT Pro amateur contract.
MLS NEXT Pro amateur contracts are on a single-game basis, preserving Donovan's NCAA eligibility. He will be available for selection Sunday for Sporting KC II's match at Tacoma Defiance at Starfire Sports Complex in Tukwila, Washington.
Donovan came to the Sporting KC Academy ahead of his U-15 season and represented the club at the U-15, U-17 and U-19 levels. During the 2023-24 MLS NEXT season, the midfielder donned the captain's armband for the U-17s, leading the team to both the 2024 GA Cup Quarterfinals and 2024 MLS NEXT Cup Playoffs Quarterfinals.
In 2023, Donovan helped Sporting's U-19s lift the Oklahoma-Arkansas UPSL regular season title. The 17-year-old spent a large portion of the 2024 Sporting KC II preseason training with head coach Benny Feilhaber's side.
Sporting KC II will face the Tacoma Defiance on Sunday night at Starfire Sports Complex with kickoff set for 9 p.m. CT. The match can be streamed for free at MLSNEXTPro.com and on the MLS YouTube page.
Transaction: Sporting Kansas City II signs midfielder Shane Donovan to an MLS NEXT Pro amateur contract.
VITALS
Shane Donovan
Position: Midfielder
Birthdate: 1/6/2007
Height: 5-7
Weight: 125 lbs.
Hometown: Kansas City, Missouri
Birthplace: Boston, Massachusetts
